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4  5  6 


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I 


'.Ul'ljiiv:, 


liliili 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


AM) 


ITS  HEROES: 


HISTORY  01-  THE 


Bahle  of  King's  Mountain, 


OCTOBER  7TH,   1780, 


AND    THE 


EVENTS  WHICH  LED  TO  IT, 


ll^iiiiiiiiiiis'' 


IIY 


LYMAN  C.  DRAPER,  LL.  D., 

!^ecretary    1'/  the    State   Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  and   member  of  various   /fistorical 
and  Antiquarian  Societies  of  the  Country, 


;!!'.!il;v, 


l^liiii''!!^!; 


llijililiiii'r 


|ii||v 

liiililiiiil! 


WITH  STEEL  PORTRAITS,   MAPS,  AND  PLANS. 


CINCINNATI: 
PETE7'.  G.   THOMSON,  PUBLISHER. 

I  88  I. 


COPYRIGHT  : 

1881. 

BY    PETER    G.    THOMSOX, 


AY/^t'"'^- 


INTRODUCTION. 


WITH  llic  siege  and  fall  of  Charleston,  early  in  1780,  the  nidc 
shocks  of  war  were  transferred  from  the  Northern  and  Middle 
Slates  to  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia.  C.ates,  the  victor  of  Saratoga, 
was  sent  to  command  the  SoutiiLMn  army  ;  hut  his  lucky  star  failed  him, 
and  he  was  disastrously  routed  near  Camden,  and  the  gallant  SunUer 
shortly  alter  surprised  at  Fishing  Creek.  Gloom  and  dismay  overspread 
the  whole  Southern  country.  Detachments  from  the  victorious  British 
army  were  scattered  throughout  the  settlements;  and  the  rebellious 
Colonies  of  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia  were  reported  to  the  Home 
Government  as  completely  humiliated  and  subdued.  Ferguson,  one  of 
the  ablest  of  the  Royal  commanders,  was  operating  on  the  western 
borders  of  the  Carolinas,  enticing  the  younger  men  to  his  standard, 
and  drilling  them  for  the  Royal  service. 

At  this  gloomy  period,  when  the  cause  of  Liberty  seemed  [)rostrate 
and  hopeless  in  the  South,  the  Whig  border  leaders,  Campbell,  Shelby, 
Sevier,  Cleveland,  Lacey,  Williams,  McDowell,  Winston,  Hambright, 
Hawthorn,  Biandon,  Chronicle,  Hammond,  and  their  compeers,  mar- 
shalled their  clans,  united  their  forces,  overwhehning  Ferguson  and  his 
motley  followers,  crushing  out  all  Tory  opposition  and  making  the 
name  of  A7//^'s  Mountain  famous  in  our  country's  history.  This 
remarkal)le  and  fortunate  battle  deserves  a  full  and  faithful  record. 
The  story  of  its  heroes  has  in  it  much  to  remind  us  of  an  epic  or  a 
romance.  They  were  a  remarkable  race  of  men,  and  played  no  incon- 
siderable a  part  in  the  long  and  sanguinary  struggle  for  American 
Independence'.  Reared  on  the  outskirts  of  civilization,  they  were  early 
inured  to  privations  aid  hardships,  and  when  they  went  upon  the  "  war- 
path," they  often  obtained  their  commissaries'  supplies  from  the  wild 


IV 


INTRODUCTION. 


woods  and  mountain  streams  of  tho  rcyion  where  they  carried  on  tiicir 
successful  operations. 

As  early  as  1839,  the  collection  of  materials  was  coniiiicnced  for 
this  work.  Three  of  the  lingering  survivors  of  King's  Mountain  were 
visited  by  the  writer  of  this  volume,  and  their  varied  recollections  noted 
down — James  Sevier,  of  Tennessee,  John  Spelts  and  Silas  McI3ec,  of 
Mississippi ;  and  Benjamin  Sharp,  of  Missouri,  and  William  Snodgrass, 
of  Tennessee,  were  reached  by  correspfindence. 

The  gathering  at  King's  Mountain  in  1815,  to  collect  and  re-inter 
the  scattered  remains  of  those  wlio  fell  in  the  conllict  was  limited  in 
attendance.  In  1855,  the  sevcnty-tlflh  anniversary  was  appropriately 
celebrated,  with  Gen.  John  S.  Preston,  and  lion.  George  Bancroft  as  tiie 
speakers.  But  it  remained  for  October  seventh,  1880,  to  eclipse  the 
others,  in  a  Centennial  celebration,  when  thousands  of  people  assembled, 
making  a  incmorable  civic  and  military  disjilay,  with  an  address  by  Hon. 
John  W.  Daniel,  and  poems  by  Paul  II.  Haync  and  Mrs.  Clara  l;ari.;an 
McLean.  Then  followed  the  unvailing  of  a  massive  granite  monument 
having  abase  of  eighteen  feet  square,  and  altogether  a  height  of  twenty- 
eight  feet.  It  slopes  from  the  upper  die  to  the  top,  which  is  about  two 
antl  half  feet  st|uare.  capable  of  furtlicr  addition,  or  to  he  crowned  witii 
a  suitable  st.ilue.  Inscriptions  are  cut  on  marble  slabs,  imbedded  two 
inches  in  the  granite  masonry. 

This  worthy  King's  Mountain  Centennial  very  natmally  excited 
much  interest  in  the  minds  of  the  jniblic  regarding  the  battle  itself,  and 
its  heroic  actors,  and  promjjted  the  writer  to  set  about  the  preparation 
of  his  long-promised  work.  Beside  the  materials  collected  in  former 
years — in  ante  lielliun  days — more  than  a  thousand  letters  were  written, 
seeking  documents,  traditions,  description  of  historic  localities,  and  the 
elucidation  of  obscure  statements.  Old  newspaper  files  of  the  Library 
of  Congress,  Philadelphia  Library  Company,  and  of  the  Maryland  and 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Societies,  have  been  carefully  consulted,  anil 
information  sought  from  every  possible  source  in  this  country,  England 
and  the  British  Colonies.  Truth  alone  has  been  the  writer's  aim,  and 
conclusions  reached  without  prejudice,  fear  or  favor. 

The  following  deceased  persons,  who  were  either  related  to,  or  had 
personal  intercourse  with,  King's  Mountain  men,  kindly  contributed  in 
years  agone,  valuable  materials  for  this  work  : 


^Sf'""'i^ 


TIIK    NEW    MONUMENT,    KINg's    MOUNTAIN. 


mr/wDucTiox.  v 

F.x-Gov,  David  Camphell,  of  Virijinij;  Mnn.  IIiicli  L.  White,  Col,  Wm.  Martin,  Ex. 
Gov.  Wni.  H.  Campbell,  Col  licorge  Wilson,  Col.  Hcorge  Clirisiiiin,  Maj.  John  Sevier,  Jr., 
Cul  (Jeo.  W.  Scvitr,  and  Mrs.  Kli<:.i  W.  W.irlicid,  of  '1  ciingssct ;  lion.  Jos.  J.  Mc- 
Unwell,  of  Oliio  ;  .Miij.  llios.  H.  Shelby,  of  Kcntiuky  ;  Hon.  Klij.ih  Callaway,  Ur.  James 
Callaway,  Huk'"  M.  Stokes,  Sliadra<  k  Franklin,  Silas  McDowell,  Adam  and  James  J. 
H.impinn,  nf  North  Carolin.i;  Hon.  Wni.  C.  rreston,  Ocn.  John  S.  I'luston,  Dr.  M.  A. 
Moore.  I).  ().  Slinson,  Jeremiah  Clevcl.md,  Mrs.  Sallic  Rector.  Dr.  A.  I-.  Ilammi>nd.  .nnd 
Abraham  Hardin,  of  South  Ciruhna ;  Gen.  Uen,  Cleveland,  oi'  Ucuryia  ;  and  Dr.  Alex- 
ander y.  Ilradley,  of  Alabama. 


Special  acknowlcdgementa  arc  due  to  tlic  followirifj  pcrsfins. 

Ti-n»essef  ;—Dr.  J.  G.  M.  Kamsuy.  Rlv.  Dr.  D  C.  Kcllcy.  Hon.  J.  M.  l.rn.  Anson 
Nelson.  Hon.  W.  B.  Carter,  Col.  H.  L.  Claiborne.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  'I'rigg,  John  I'.  Watkins 
Thos.  A.  Rogers,  and  Col,  H.  A.  liruwn. 

l'!rgi'nfn:—V..  A.  Drock,  Hon.  A.  S.  Fulton,  W.  G.  G.  I.owry,  John  I,.  Cochran,  .ind 
Col,  T.  L.  )'rcston. 

North  Carn//na:—V>T.  C.  L,  Hunter,  Col.  J.  R.  Logan,  W.  L.  Twitty,  Dr.  R.  F 
Hnckctt,  Col.  W-n.  Johnston.  Hon.  W.  P.  Hynnm,  Dr.  W.  J.  T.  Miller,  Mrs.  Mary  A, 
Chambers,  Hon.  S.  McDowell  Tate,  Col.  W.  W.  Lenoir,  .Mrs  R.  M.  Pearson.  W.  M. 
Kcinhardt.  Hon.  J.  C.  Hari)er,  Hon.  C.  A.  Cilly,  .MiiS  A.  L.  Henderson,  Ur.  G.  W, 
Michal.  Wm.  A.  McCall,  Rev.  W.  S.  Fonfaino,  W.  S  Prarson.  T.  A.  Honchrlle,  John 
Ikinner,  J.  L.  Worth.  Dr.  T.  R.  Twitty.  M.  <).  Dickcrson.  A.  D.  K.  W.allace,  John  Gilkey, 
A.  n.  Long,  Dr.  J.  H.  Gilkey,  Hon.  J.  M.  Cloud,  Rev,  W,  S,  P,ynu;.i,  J,  C.  Whitson.  Geo. 
F.  D.-ividson.  Mrs.  R.  C.  Whi.son.  Miss  N.  M.  McDowell,  Miss  A.  M.  Woodfin.  James  E, 
RevnnMs.  Lewis  Johnson.  G.  W.  Crawford.  W.  H.  Allis,  Thos.  P.  Vance.  Dr.  J.  C.  New- 
land,  W.  M.  McDowell,  Rev.  E.  F.  Rockwell.  D.  Pnrgin.  A.  Rnrgin,  Wylie  Franklin, 
James  Gwyn. Jesse  Yates,  Dr.  L.  Harrill.  John  H.  Roberts.  Mrs.  M.  V.  Adams,  .Mrs.  P. 
E.  Callaway,  Dr.  I!.  F.  Di,\on,  and  Mrs.  M.  M,  Thruslon. 

Souf/i  Cirrliam—Mev.  James  H.  Save  Fx-Gov.  R.  F.  Perry.  Hon.  Simpson  Robo. 
N.  F.  Walker.  A.  H.  Twichcll.  Mrs.  Edward  Ro.ach,  Gen.  A.  C.  Garlington.  D.  K.  Craw- 
ford. Hon.  John  1!.  Cleveland,  Elij.ih  Keese,  James  Seaoorn,  ami  J.  T.  Pool. 

Cj'eors-i'n: -Dr.  J.  H.  Logan.  Gen.  W.  S.  WofTord,  W'.  T    Hackett.  and  A.  N.  Simpson. 

Aliibnmn  .-—Rev.  Z.  H.  Gordon,  Col.  J.  H.  Witherspoon,  and  Mrs.  Lewis  E.  Parsons. 

Mhsissi/'/ii :—}.  R.  Hill. 

Ayka>i.<:as:—V.cn.  D.  H.  Hill. 

Missouri : — Dr.  A.  N.  Kincannon. 

AV«/rtr*>'.--Ls.iac  Shelby,  Jr.,  and  Col.  H.  H.  McDowell. 

Illinois  : — Spraguc  White. 

Ohio: — Mrs.  Jennie  McDowell  Stockton. 

Wisconsin  : — Hon.  John  A.  Rontley. 

PeHiisyb'aiiia  : — G.  R.  Hildebiirn. 

A'fw  W'rk  .-Gen.  J.  Watts  DePcyster,  and  Geo,  H.  Moore,  LL.  D. 

jTfa>yltttiil : — Miss  Josephine  Seaton. 

IJ'ashinjrto/!  .-—Col.  J.  H.  Wheeler,  and  Hon.  D.  R.  Goodloe. 

Kitgland : — Viscount  Holmesdale,  Col.  (}eo.  .'\.  Ferguson,  and  Alfred  Kingston, 

Nem  Brunswick : — J.  Dc  L.mcey  Robinson. 

Xo"ja  Scotia: — George  Taylor. 

Ontario  :—Kq.v.  Dr.  E.  Rycrson. 


VI 


INTRODUCTION. 


While  in  the  lonj;'  years  past  tlie  materials  for  this  work  ha\e  been 
collected,  ample  facts  aiurdociimuiits  have  also  been  -gathered  for  .'', 
continuation  of  similar  volumes,  of  which  this  is  the  commencement — to 
be  called,  perhaps,  the  Border  Series,  embracing,  in  their  sweep,  the 
whole  frontier  from  New  York  and  Canada  to  the  gulf  of  Mexico — 
Siinitcr  and  liis  Men — Pklcens  and  the  Battle  of  Cow/icns — IJf,-  and 
Campaigns  of  Gen.  Ucorgc  Holers  Clark — Boone  and  the  Pioneers 
of  Kentue/cy — Kenton  and  his  Adventures — Brady  and  his  Seouts — 
Mecklenburg  and  its  .Ictors —  Teeuniseh,  the  Shaivanoe  Leader — Brant, 
the  Molunvk  Chief— ■^\■\C^  a  volume  on  Border  Forays  and  .Id'oentures. 
If  there  is  a  demand  for  these  works,  they  will  be  forthcoming. 

Should  Kings  Mountain  and  its  Heroes  be  recei\'cd  with  favor,  and 
regarded  as  shedding  new  light  on  an  interesting  portion  of  our  revolu- 
tionary history,  not  a  little  of  the  credit  is  deservedly  due  to  the 
enterprising  publisher,  Peter  (i.  Thomson,  who  warmly  encouraged 
the  undertaking,  and  has  s])ared  no  pains  in  bringing  it  before  the 
public  in  a  style  at  once  t.isteful  and  attractive. 


Madison,  Wis.,  September  i,  iSSi, 


tablp:  of  contents. 


CHAPTER  I. 


1763  to  May,  1780, 


CHAPTER    II. 


-s  of  the 
'/  Charleston. 


May,  1780. 


Further  Iiicidrnts  Connected  -inth  /A,   c-  ^ 


-Subjugation  of  South  Carolina. 

CHAPTER  III. 


itish 


1741   to  May,  1780. 

CHAPTER  IV. 


1780-May-July. 

Colonel  Ferguson  sent  to  the  District  of  V;„  /     c- 

Local Militia.-Jn,for  H.uZ'i  >   S'-^--Orgamzing  the 

/^v.//..-/,,  ^,,,,  /L'^;;^;-^/^^^^^^^  ^se,uctn.epronusesto  the 

Mission-Mrs.  jane  Than  aTu^'~f "''^ ''''"'  '"^"/''"^''^"  to  his 
J         Ihonias   Advcnture.-Colond  Thomas  rebels 

vii 


VI 11 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

a  Tory  assault  at  Cedar  Spring.— Ferguson  advances  to  Fair  For- 
est.—  Character  of  the  Tories — Stories  of  their  plundering^. —  Col- 
onels Clarke  and  Jones  of  Georgia — the  latter  surprises  a  Tory 
Camp  —Dunlap  and  Mills  attack  McDoioell's  Camp  on  North 
Pacolct. —  Captain  Ilatnptons  pursuit  and  defeat  of  the   Tories. 

CHAPTER   V. 


1780— July— August. 


McDo7uell  sends  for  the  Over-Mountain  Men. —  Clarke  joins  him,  and 
pushes  on  to  Sumter's  Camp. —  Capture  and  Escape  of  Captain 
Patrick  Moore. — Moore's  Plunderers. — Story  of  fane  Mcjunkin 
and  Bill  Ilaynesworth. — Shelby  and  the  Mountaineers  arrive  at 
Me Doweir s  Camp. —  Capture  of  'Thicketty  Fort. — Expedition  to 
Brown  s  Creek  and  Fair  Forest. — Fight  at  the  Peach  Orchard,  near 
Cedar  Spring,  and  IVofford's  Iron  Works,  and  its  Incidents. — 
.'iaye's  Account  of  the  Action. — British  Report. —  Contradictory 
Statements  concerning  the  Conflict. 

CHAPTER   VI. 


1780— August  18. 


Musgrovc's  MiU  Expedition  and  Battle. — Rencontre  of  the  Patrol  Par- 
ties. — British  Alarm. — Information  of  the  Enemy's  Reinforcement. 
■—Whigs  thro^v  up  Breast-ieorks.  —  Captain  In  man's  .Stratagem. — 
Enemy  drawn  into  the  Net  prepared  for  them. — Desperate  Fight- 
ing.—  Junes  and  other  British  Leaders  Wounded. —  Tory  Colonel 
Clary's  Escape. —  Captain  Inman  Killed. —  The  Retreat  and  the 
Rout. — Incidents  at  the  Ford. — Sam  Moore's  Adventure. —  The  Brit- 
ish and  Tory  Reserve. — A  British  Patrol  Returns  too  late  to  share 
in  the  Battle. — Burial  of  the  Slain.—-Length  and  Severity  of  the 
Action. — Respective  Losses. — A{-7l's  of  Gates'  Defeat— its  Influence. 
—  Whigs'  Retreat. — Anecdote  of  Paul  IJinson. —  The  Prisoners. — 
Williams'  Reward. —  Cornwallis'  Confession. —  Comparison  of  Au- 
thorities. 

CHAPTER  VII. 


1780— Summer  and  Autumn. 


Incidents  of  the  Up-country — Major  Fdunird  Musgro'-.'c. — Paddy   Can- 


and  Beaks   Musgrove. —  The  Story   of  Mary 


Musgrove.- 


-Samuel 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


IX 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


August,  1780-Mareh,  1781. 

Moves. -n^o  Try  on  Gun      J^^J,^  :^':    ^';^' /--''— /vv,.. J. 

CHAPTER   IX. 


July-October,  1780. 

maud  of  Sumter's  men~his  ,l:']''~^^ '"'"'"■'  Mlurc  to  ^ct  com- 
son   sends  a  tkrcat  /"/./  ^,^1/1     T    ''"f  '^  ^"""^^^Fergu. 
forts  to  turn  tk.  scales  l  ^:^Zl^''"^^^^ 
ton   and  Campbell  unite  m    /,  ''Z  '  ^'^' ^^^'^^^^.    ^^^wip. 

-Parson  Doak  connLj  tl  7   T^^^^^^^^  '^"--  ^'^^'^^h. 

^tl.r.--T,,,.,,^^.   ;^f;     '^  ']   ^^"■P'-oterttonoftAeGood 
and    mnston.--CanMnJt  "'^'^'"^'-''^--yoined  by   Cleveland 

CHAPTER   X. 


September-October,  1780. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Moinitainccrs  at  tJicir  South  Mountain  Camp. — Patriotic  Ippcals 
of  the  Officers  t)  i heir  Men. — Resume  of  Fcrti^uson  s  Opoutions  in 
the  Upper  Catawba  Valley. — Alarmin^t;  Intelh[i(ence  of  the  Ap- 
proach jf  the  Back  IVater  Men. —  Why  Fcrs^uson  7'arricif  so  long 
on  the  Frontiers. — British  Scheme  of  Suppressing  the  Rebellion  by 
the  Galloivi. — Ferguson  Flees  from  Gilbert  To-wn. — Seniis  Messen- 
gers for  aid  to  Cornwallis  and  Cruger. — Frcncicd  Appeal  to  the 
Tories. —  Ferguson's  Breakfast  .Stolen  by  Saucy  .I'higs.  —  //is 
Flight  to  '''''ite's  Ferry. — Dispatch  to  Lord  Corvwallis. —  Takes 
Tost  on  King's  Mountain,  and  Description  of  it. -Motives  for  Ling- 
ering there. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


f 


October,  1780. 


Uncertainty  of  Ferguson' s  Route  of  Retreat. — A  small  party  of  Georgians 
join  the  Mountain  Af<ii. —  Whig  forces  over-estimated. — Report  of  a 
P'atriot  Spy  from  Ferguson's  Camp. —  Williams'  attempt  to  Mislead 
the  Mountaineers. — Lacey  sets  them  Right.  —  'The  South  Carolinians 
treatment  of  Williams. — Selecting  the  fittest  JMen  at  Green  river  to 
pursue  Ferguson. — Arri7>al  at  the  Cowpens. —  The  Tory,  Saunders 
— his  ignorance  of  Ferguson,  his  Beeves  and  his  Com. — Story  of 
Kerr,  the  cripple  Spy  — Gilmer,  the  cunfiing  Scout,  duping  the 
Tories. —  The  Co7vpens  Council,  further  selection  of  Pursuers,  and 
their  Number. — Night  March  to  Cherokee  Ford. — Straying  of  Camp- 
bell's Men. — Groundless  Fears  of  an  Ambuscade. —  Crossing  of 
Broad  river. — Stormy  Times. —  faded  Condition  of  Men  and  Horses. 
—  Tory  Information. — Gilmer's  Adventures.— Plan  of  attacking 
Ferguson. — Colonel  Graham  Retires. —  Chronical  assigned  Command 
of  the  Lincoln  Men. —  Young  Ponder  Taken. — /u-rguson's  Dress. — 
Pressing  toiuards  the  enemy's  Camp. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


King's  Mountain  Battle,  October  7th,  1780. 


Ferguson  and  his  Men  Resoh'c  to  Fight. —  The  Bayonet  their  Main  Re- 
liance.— British  Strength. — Character  of  the  Provincial  Rangers. — 
Different  Classes  of  Loyalists  Described. —  Traits  of  the  Mountain- 
eers.—  The  I/olston  Mot,  and  Frontier  Ad7'etitures. — Assignment 
of  the  Whig  Corps  to  the  Attack. — Campbell's  Appeal  to  his  Men. 


Mi 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


XI 


—  U'iiis/on's  mis- Ailvcnliircs. —  Ch-wland no/ tJu- First /o  Commence 
the  Action. — Siir/irisin<^  the  Enemy's  Picket. — .Shelby  s  Co/iiiiui .  In- 
noycd  by  the  Enemy. —  CamphelPs  Men  Rush  into  the  Eit^ht — At- 
tach on  the  British  Main  Guard. —  The  Viri^inians  Ad^'ance  u/)  the 
^lountain. — March  of  Cleveland's  Men — Patriotic  Speech  of  their 
Commander. — Drive  in  a  Picket. — Movements  of  Laccfs  Men. — 
Campbell's  Corps  Driven  before  the  Bayonet — Rally,  and  Renex^> 
the  Contest. — .Shelby,  too.  Retired  before  the  Charging  Columns. — 
The  Right  and  Left  Wings  take  part  in  the  Action. —  Culbertson's 
Heroism. —  Captain  Moses  Shelby  Wounded. — Ensign  Camp/'cll  Ih's- 
lodging  Tories  from  their  Rocky  Ramparts. —  Terrific  Character  of 
the  Conjlict. — .Imiising  Incident  of  one  of  Lacey's  Men. — Heroic 
Efforts  of  Campbell  and  his  Corps. — Ensign  Campbell's  U'ood  Con- 
duct.—Captain  hdmiindson's  Exploit  and  Death. — Lieutenant 
Reece  Bouen's  Disdain  of  Danger,  and  his  Lamented  Fall. —  Camp- 
bell's Active  Efforts  and  Heroic  Appeals. — Death  of  Major  Chron- 
icle.—  The  South  Fork  Boys  Charged,  and  Several  Wounded. — 
Robert  Henry  Transfi.xcd,  and  yet  Survived  all  his  Associates. — 
William  Tiuitty  and  Abram  Forney. —  Cleveland,  and  his  Men. — 
Lieutenant  Samuel  fohnson  dnd  other  Wounded  Of/icers. —  Intre- 
piditv  of  Charles  Gordon  and  Da7>id  Witherspoon. — Singular 
Adventure  of  Charles  Boiuen  and  Colonel  Cleveland. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 


The  Battle— October  7th,  1780. 


J-ltrther  Progress  and  Incidents  of  the  Contest. — Heroic  Act  of  William 
Robertson. —  Thomas  Robertson  Shoots  a  Tricky  Tory. —  Treatment 
of  the  Tory  Branson,  by  Captain  Withrow. —  Captain  Lenoir's 
Part  in  the  Battle. —  Captain  Robert  Sevier  Wounded. — Alarm 
concerning  Tarleton. — Mistake  caused  by  Campbell's  Bald  Faced 
Horse. —  Campbell's  Daring  Reconnoiter. — Anecdote  of  Clc-t'cland. 
—  Colonel  IVilliams  Patriotic  Conduct. —  William  Giles  "Creased" 
— RcT'ives,  and  Re/it'ii's  the  Fight.— -Thomas  ]oung's  Relation  of 
Colonel  William.^:'  Fall. — Major  Hammond's  Desperate  Charge, 
and  singular  Premonition  of  one  of  his  Men. —  Campbell  and  .Shelby 
Renewing  the  Attack. — Lieutenant- Colonel  Hambridge  Wounded. — 
Ferguson's  Pride  and  Recklessness — Attempting  to  Escape,  is 
Mortally  Wounded.  —  Various  .Statements  of  Colonel  Williams' 
Fall. — Furious  Charge  of  Campbell's  and  .Shelby's  Men. — Several 
Corps  driven  down  the  Mountain. —  British  Over-Shoot  the  Whigs. 
— North  Carolina  Tories  first  to  Weaken. — Colonel  Graham's  I'nex- 


i 


xii  TAIU.E  OF  CONTENTS. 

pcctcii  Ritiirii. — Ft-rgitson  s  Fall — DcPeystcr  Vindicated. —  Whigs 
sloTii  to  Rctognizi'  the  IV/u'tc  Flag.— )  'oiiitg  Sri'iers  Shooting 
Paroxysm. —  Efforts  of  .Shi'H>y  and  Cam/flxil  to  Quell  the  Firing  of 
the  ll'higs. —  Three  Koitsing  Cheers  for  the  iireat  I'ietory. — 
Colonel  IVilliains'  Shot — an  Exciting  Scene. —  Conjlicting  Stories 
of  his  Fatal  Charge. — British  Officers  Surrender  their  Siuords. — 
Ferguson's  I/eroic  Conduct  in  the  Jiattle — Jiis  Mistakes. — He  was 
Afortally  ] Founded,  not  Killed  Out- Fight. —  Curiosity  of  the  IVhigs 
to  l'ie7i>  his  Body. — His  Mistresses. — Frii'ations  and  Sufferings  of 
the  Mountaineers. — Strength  of  the  Tones. — Absence  of  their 
Leaders. —  Their  Fighting  Qualities. — Dismay  of  the  Southern 
British  Coiuinanders. —  Their  Tgnora>:ce  of  the  Oiur- Mountain 
Whig  Settlements. — Boone  not  on  the  Campaign. — Duration  of  the 
Battle. — Strength  and  flosses  of  the  British  and  Tories.— Colonels 
John  and  Patrick  Moore. — Numln-r  of  Prisoners  Taken. — Errors 
in  Report  of  I^osses.— Names  of  Whigs  Killed  and  Wounded.— 
Death  of  Captain  Sevier.— William  Moore  Wounded.— Remarkable 
Losses  in  Campbell's  Regiment.— Captains  Weir  and  Shannon 
Arrive.— Counting  the  Dead.— Caring  for  the  Wounded.— Guard- 
ing the  Prisoners.— .'scarcity  of  j'rovisions. — King's  Mountain 
Souvcnirs.—/Feart-Rcn(fing  Scenes  of  the  Battle  Field.— The  A'ight 
after  the  miction. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


October,  1780. 


Battle  Tncidcnts.—Long  Sam  Abney  Coerced  into  Ferguson's  Army. — 
Death  of  Arthur  Patterson.— Drury  Mathis'  Rough  Experience.— 
A  Tory  Woman  Finding  her  Slain  Son.— Fatality  of  the  Riff lemen. 
— Preston  Goforth  and  three  Brothers  Killed. — ./  Brother  kills  a 
Brother.— The  Whig  and  Toy  Logans.— William  Logan  Noticed. 

Preparing  to  Retire.— Burning  Captured  II  "agons.— Horse-Litters 

for  the  Wounded.— Gray's  Kindness  to  a  Wounded  Tory.— A 
Termasiant  Prisoner  Released.— Messengers  sent  to  the  Foot-Men.— 
Arms  Captured.— Tories  made  to  Cany  Them.— Trophies  of  I'ic- 
fo,-y_—A  Whig  ]Voman  Refusing  to  Share  in  the  Plunder.— Rumor 
of  Farlcton's  Approach.— Burial  of  the  Whig  and  Tory  Dead.— 
Treatment  of  Ferguson  Cvisidercd.— Re-Interment  of  Remains.— 
March  of  the  Armv.— Death  of  Col.  Williams.— Camp  at  Broad 
River.— Williams'  Burial.— Discovery  of  his  Long- Forgot  ten  Grave. 
—Six    Tory  Brothers  Escape.— Notice  of  Colonel  Walker.— Bran- 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


xni 


don's  Barbarity. —  Campbell rrotcctiiii^ tlu-  Pri.uvurs. —  Gray's  Rt-t<>>i 
ton  Tory  Vixen. — Gray's  Smncfs. — Sitlfiriiii^^  for  Food. — Fcediii^^ 
Prisoners  on  Corn  and  Pumpkins. — Billeting  the  Wounded, — March 
to  Bickerstajjf's  Old  Field. 

CHAPTER  XV. 


October— November,  1780. 


Colonel  Catnpbell  J)iiioitnres  Plundering. —  Complaints  Agaijist  Tory 
Leaders. —  T/ieir  Outrages  on  the  Whigs. — A  Court  Called  to  Con- 
sider the  Matter. — Retaliation  for  British  Txeeutions  Demanded. — 
A  Law  Found  to  Meet  the  Case. —  Charges  against  A/ills,  Gilhey, 
and  A/eFall. —  Colonel  Davenport  Noticed. — Number  of  Tories 
Tried  and  Condemned  .—  Case  of  fames  Craikford. —  One  of  the 
Prisoners  Released. —  Cleveland  Favoring  Severe  Measures. — 
Motives  of  the  Patriots  I  'indicated. — Shelby's  Explanation. — 
Tories  Executed — their  names  and  Residence. — Paddy  Carr's 
Remarks,  and  Notice  of  Him. — Bahkvin's  Singular  Fscape. — 
Further  Executions  Stopped. —  Tories  Subsequently  Hung. — Rumor 
of  Tarletons  Approach. —  Whigs  Hasten  to  the  Catawba. — A  Hard 
Day's  March — Sufferings  of  Patriots  and  Prisoners. — Major  Mc- 
Dowell's  Kindness. — Mrs.  Ale DowcW s  Treatment  of  British  Offi- 
cers.— Some  of  the  Whig  Troops  Retire. — Disposition  of  the  ]]'ouiidcil. 
— Prisoners  Escape  -One  Re-taken  and  Hung. — March  to  the 
Alorai'ian  Settlements. — Bob  Po^oell's  Challenge. —  Official  Account 
of  the  Battle  Prepared. —  Campbell  and  Shelby  Visit  General  Gates. 
—  Cleveland  Left  in  Command. — His  Trial  of  Tories. — Escape  of 
Green  and  Langum. —  Clevela/td .Issaults  Doctor  Johnson. —  Colonel 
Armstrong  Succeeds  to  the  Command. — Escape  of  British  Officers. 


CHAPTER   XVI 


October— December,  1780. 


Disposition  of  King's  A  fountain  Prisoners. — Proposition  to  Enlist  Them 
— Needed  for  Exchange. —  Congress  refers  the  Alatter  to  the  States 
where  the  Prisoners  Belong. — ILnu  They  Dwindled  Away. —  Colonel 
Armstrong  Blamed. — Remnant  Confined  at  Salisbury. — DePeyster 
and  Ryerson  Paroled. — ./  Plucky  Band  of  Wliigs  Scare  a  Large 
Tory  Party. —  Tarleton  Frustrates  Cornwallis'  Design  of  Relieving 
Ferguson.— Intercepting     Ferguson's     AFcssengers. —  Tarleton      at 


XIV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Li-ni^th  in  Motion. — //is  Inslnictions. — /■^Jfctt  of  A7>/j,''.v  .\/oii/iiiu'n 
Victory. — Ewiii  and  /Utny  Alarm  the  Xcittrals  aiut  tiny  Alarm 
Cornwallis. —  Crowning  of  David  I\nox. — Cornwallisjlcts  to  .Soiit/i 
Carolina,  with  the  Imaginary  A/ountainiwrs  in  Pursuit. — ^/  Triclcy 
Cuidc  MisUading  the  lu  tiring  /roops. — A  Panic. — //Iness  of  Corn- 
wallis.— Sic'lcness  and  Patality  among  the  Troops. — Privations  and 
Siifft-rings  of  the  /^etrograders.-  .\id  luiidrred  t>y  the  Tories. — 
Ninety  Six  Safe. —  Cornwallis  Threatens  /ietatiation  for  /Execution 
of  Kings  Mountain  Prisoners. — Gates  and  Jiandall  on  the  Situa- 
tion.—  The  Question  Met  />y  General  Greene. —  Cornwallis  I)ro/>s  the 
Matter. —  Case  of  Adam  Cusae/c. —  'The  Widows  and  Orphans  of 
Ninety  Six  District. — Good  Words  for  King's  A/ountain  Victory. — 
Gates  Thanks  the  Victors. —  Washington  Takes  Courage. — /■resolves 
ofCongi'ess. — Greene  and  /.ee  Commend  the  Mountaineers. — Tossing, 
Bancroft,  and  Irving  on  the  Result. —  The  Ihitish  Leaders  Recognize 
the  Disastrous  Effects  of  Ferguson  s  A/iscarriage. — Gates  and  fef- 
ferson's  /encomiums. — lung's  Mountain  Paves  the  IVay  for  York- 
town  and  Inde/iendence. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 


Gen.  William  Campbell. 


//is  Scotch-Irish  Ancestry. — //is  I'athcr  an  /•larly  //olston  Explorer. — 
William  Campbell's  Birth  and  Education. — Settles  on  //olston. — A 
Captain  on  Dunmore's  Campaign. — Raised  a  Company  for  the  first 
Virginia  Regiment  in  1773. — /Return  for  the  Defense  of  the  /fron- 
tiers.— I  lis  Military  Appointu  nts. — Rencounter  with  and  Hanging 
of  the  Bandit  Hopkins. — .S'  'pressing  Tories  up  lYcw  Jii^'C)-. — 
King's  Mountain  Expedition — his  Brai'cry  Vindicated. — Public 
Thanks  for  his  Services. — .Marches  to  Long  Island  of  Holston. — 
At  Whitzell's  Mills  and  Guilford. — Resigns  from  Ill-treatment. — 
Made  Brigadier-General. — Serves  under  TAiIuiyette. — Deatli  and 
Character. — Notices  of  his  King's  Mountain  Officers , 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 


Cols.  Shelby  and  Sevier,  and  their  Officers. 


Notice  of  Evan  Shelby. —  Isaac  Shelby's  Life  and  .Services. —  Officers 
under  him  at  King's  Mountain — E'lnin  Shelby,  fr. — Gilbert  Chris- 
tian— Moses  .Shelby — fames  Elliott— John  Sawyers — George  Max- 
well, and  George  Rutledge. —  fohn  .S,-7'ier's  Life  and  Services. — 
His  lung's  Mountain  OJficers — Jonathan  Tipton— Valentine  and 
Robert  Sevier — Christopher  Taylor — Jacob  Brown — Samuel  Weir. 


t't' 


h/ 


TABLE  OF  COXTRNTS. 
CHAPTER   XIX. 


XV 


Col.   Ben.   Cleveland,  Maj.  Joseph  Winston  and  their 

Officers. 


Cievc/aiti/' s  /Utrcstry. — //is  Early  Life  and  I/unlin;^  Adventures. — 
Trip  to  Kenttte/^y. — /Hl/c  Hunt  and  Narrow  /Cscapes. — /ievolution- 
ary  War. — Suppressiui^  Scotc/i  Tories. — /■^ut/terford's  C/iero/cee 
Campaign. — A/are/ies  to  IVittauga. — .[^pointed  Colonel. — Serves  in 
Georgia. — New  River  Seoul. —  Kings  A/ountain. — /Langs  Coyle 
and  liro-iin. —  Captured  by  Tories  and  Ins  Reseue. — /Middle  and 
Wells  Hung. —  Other  Tory  Brigands  Taken — Nie/iols,  Tate,  and 
LLarrison. —  Tliunthing  t/ie  Notelt. — Reforming  Tories. — Removes  to 
Tugalo. — /Langs  Dinkins. — Appointed  fudge. — Anecdote, — Great 
Size,  Death,  and  Character. 

Major  Joseph  Winston  Noticed. — Ben.  Herndon. — Micajah  and  foel 
Lewis. — Robert  and  Ji'hn  Cleveland. —  fesse  Franklin. —  William 
Lwnoir — John  /hirton — William  Meredith,  and  A/inor  Smith. — 
fohn  Broicn  and  Samuel  fohnson. — David  and  fohn  Wither- 
spoon. —  fo.  LLerndon,  Richard  Allen,  and  Elisha  Reynolds. 

CHAPTER    XX. 


Lacey  and   Other  Whigs. — British  and  Tory  Leaders. 


L^acey,  l/aivthorne,  Tate,  and  A/offett. —  Williams,  LLauimond,  L/ayes, 
Dillard,  Thompson,  and  Candler. — Brandon,  Stccn,  and  Roebuck. — 
Maj.  McDoiocll,  Capt.  A/cDoiuell,  /-Kennedy,  Vance,  and  Wood. — 
I/ampton,  Singleton,  Porter,  Withrow,  A/iller,  and  Watson. — 
L/ambright,  Graham,  Chronicle,  Dick'^on,  fohnston.  White, 
Espey,  Martin,  and  A/attocks. — British  and  Tory  Leaders. 

APPENDIX. 


Allaire's  Diary,  and  Other  British  Accounts. — Letters  of  Williams, 
Davidson,  and  Gates. — Gates  Thanks  to  the  Victors. —  Official  /Re- 
port of  King's  JS/ountain. — Shelby's  and  Campbell's  L.etters. —  Wash- 
ington's General  Order. — .Arthur  Campbell  and  Unknown  Writer's 
Statements. —  Col.  CampbelFs  General  Orders. —  Thanks  of  Virginia 
Legislature. — Lee  and  Greene's  L^ctters. — L^aFayette  on  CampbelFs 
Death. — Monroe's  Letter. — Robert  Campbell,  Shelby,  Graham, 
Lenoir,  and  Sharp's  Naratives. — "jVarrator's"  Charge.  — Shelby 
ami  Sevier's  Correspondence. — Shelby's  J\imphlet. — .'synopsis  of  Re- 
joinders.—  /  arious  Certificates  I  'indicating  Col,  Campbell. —  Old 
Ballads. — Lndex. 


CHAPTER   I. 


1706  to  May,  1780. 


Caitsts   of  Iht-  Ri'volution — Altcyiuxte   Successes  and  Disasters  of  I  he 
Early  Campaigns  of  the  War — Siet^c  and  Reduction  of  Charleston. 

For  Ion  years  befdiv  the  outbreak  of  the  American  Revo- 
hilion.  the  great  (juestion  oi  taxation  -u'il/iuid  rcpi  cscntatioii 
agitated  the  miiuls  of  the  American  people.  They  rejected 
the  stanfps,  because  they  implied  a  tax  :  they  dcstro3cd 
the  tea,  because  it  imposed  a  forced  levy  upon  them  without 
their  consent,  to  gratify  the  insatiate  demands  of  their  trans- 
Atlanlic  soveriM^n,  and  his  tyrannical  ^linislry  and  Parlia- 
ment. Should  thev  basely  yield  one  of  their  clearest  ri'dits, 
they  well  judged  ihey  might  be  required,  little  by  little,  to 
\ield  all.  They,  therefore,  manfully  resisted  these  inyasions 
as  unbecoming  a  free  people.  • 

When,  in  1775,  Great  Britain  determined  to  cntbrce  her 
obnoxious  laws,  the  people,  under  their  chosen  leaders, 
seized  their  arms,  forsook  their  homes  and  families,  and 
boldly  asserted  their  God-giyen  rights.  A  long  and  embit- 
tered contest  was  commenced,  inyohing.  might}'  interests. 
Freedom  was  threatened — an  empire  was  at  stake.  Sturdy 
blows  were  giyen  and  receiyed,  with  various  results.  The 
lirsl  year  of  the  war,  the  Americans  beat  back  the  I jrilish 
from  Lexington  and  Concord,  and  captured  Crown  Point, 
but  were  worsted  at  Bunker  Ilill  ;  they  captured  Chambly 
and  St.  Johns,  and  repulsed  the  enemy  near  Longueil,  but 
the  intrepid  Montgomery  failed  to  take  Qiiebec,  losing  his 
life  in  the  eflort. 

The  sect)nd  year  of  the  contest,  which  brought  forth  the 
immortal  Declaration  of  Independence,  proved  varying  in 

(17) 


18 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


its  fortunes.  The  Scotch  Tories  in  North  Carolina  were 
signally  defoatecl  at  Moore's  Creek,  and  the  British,  long 
cooped  up  in  Boston,  were  compelled  to  evacuate  the  place  : 
and  were  suhsequently  repulsed  at  .Sullivan's  Island,  near 
Charleston  ;  while  the  Americans,  on  the  other  hand,  were 
defeated  at  the  Cedars,  and  were  driven  from  Montreal, 
Chambl}-  and  St.  Johns,  worsted  at  Long  Island  and  White 
Plains,  and  lost  Fort  Washington,  on  the  Hudson.  Mean- 
while the  frontier  men  of  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  East  Ten- 
nessee, and  Georgia,  carried  on  successful  expeditions  against 
the  troublesome  Cherokees,  whom  British  emissaries  had  in- 
veigled into  hostilities  against  their  white  neiiihbors. 

Yet  the  year  closed  with  gloom}-  prospects — despair  sat 
on  many  a  brow,  and  saddened  many  a  heart — the  main 
army  was  greatly  reduced,  and  the  British  occupied  New 
York,  and  the  neighboring  Province  of  New  Jersey.  Wash- 
ington made  a  desperate  venture,  cros.^ing  the  Delaware 
amid  lloating  ice  in  December,  attacking  and  defeating  the 
unsuspecting  enemy  at  Trenton  ;  and.  pushing  his  good 
fortune,  commenced  the  third  yi-ar  of  the  war,  1777,  by 
securing  a  \ietory  at  Princeton.  While  the  enenw  were,  for 
a  while,  held  at  bay  at  the  Red  Bank,  yet  the  results  of 
the  contests  at  Brandywine  and  Germantown  were  not 
encouraging  to  the  American  arms,  aiul  the  British  gained 
a  firm  foot-hold  in  Philadelphia.  .\nd  subsequently  they 
captured  Forts  Clinton  and  Montgomery,  on  tlie  Hudson. 

Farther  north,  better  success  attended  the  American 
arms.  St.  Leger,  with  a  strong  British  and  Indian  force, 
laid  siege  to  Fort  Stanwix.  on  the  Mohawk  ;  but  after  repel- 
ling a  relieving  party  under  (Jen.  1  lerkimer,  he  was  at  length 
compelled  to  relinquish  his  investiture,  on  learning  of  the 
approach  of  a  second  arm\-  of  rclii'f,  retiring  precipitate!}- 
from  the  country  ;  while  the  more  formidable  invading  force 
under  Burgoyne  met  with  successive  reverses  at  Benning- 
ton, Stillwater,  and  Saratoga,  eventuating  in  its  total  sur- 
render to  the  victorious  Americans. 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


Vi 


liir- 


In  June,  1778,  the  fourth  year  of  the  war,  the  British 
e\'acuated  Phihidelphia,  when  Washinj^ton  pursued  their 
retreating  forces,  overtaking-  and  vigorously  attacking  them 
at  Monmouth.  A  large  Tory  and  Indian  party  defeated 
the  settlers,  and  laid  waste  the  Wyoming  settlements.  As 
the  result  of  Burgoyne's  signal  discomliture.  a  treaty  of  alli- 
ance between  the  new  Republic  and  France  brought  troops 
and  fleets  to  the  aid  of  the  struggling  Americans,  and  pro- 
duced some  indi'cisive  ligliting  on  Rhode  Island. 

The  adventurous  expedition  under  (xeorge  Rogers  Clark, 
from  the  vallevs  of  Virginia  and  West  Pennsylvania,  down 
the  Monongahela  and  Ohio,  and  into  the  country  of  the 
Illinois,  a  distance  of  wi'll  nigli  liiteen  hundred  miles, 
with  limited  means,  di'stitute  of  military  stores.  [Kick- 
horses  and  supplies  —  with  only  their  bra\-e  hearts  and 
trust}'  rides,  was  a  remarkable^  enterprise.  Vi't  with  all 
these  obstacles,  and  K-ss  than  two  hundred  men,  Clark  fear- 
lessly penetrated  the  western  wilderness,  killing  his  game 
by  the  way.  and  cor.quered  those  distant  settlements. 
Though  regTirded  at  the  time  as  a  hercvilean  inulertaking, 
and  a  most  successful  adventure,  yet  nont'  foresaw  the 
mightv  in  flu*  lice  it  was  destined  to  exert  on  tlie  subsequent 
progress  and  extension  of  the  Republic. 

\'aried  fortunes  attended  the  military  operations  of  1779, 
the  fifth  year  of  the  strife.  The  gallant  Clark  and  his  intre- 
pid  followers,  marched  in  winter  season,  from  Kaskaskia 
acrossthe  submer'^ed  lands  of  the  Wabash,  sometimes  wad- 
ing up  to  their  arm-pits  in  water,  and  breaking  tlu-  ice  before 


th 


em,  surprised  the  garrison 


at  V 


mcennes.  and   siiccee 


ded 


in  its  capture.  The  Britisli  f'orce  in  Georgia,  having  defeated 
General  Ashe  at  Brier  creek,  projected  an  expedition  against 
Charleston,  and  progressed  as  far  as  Stono,  whence  they 
were  driven  back  to  Savannah,  where  the  combined  French 
and  Americans  were  subsequently  repulsed,  losing,  among 
others,  the  chivalrous  Count  Pulaski.  At  the  North.  Stony 
Point  was  cajitured  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  Paulus 


I 


20 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Hook  surprised  ;  while  General  Sullivan's  well-appointed 
army  over-ran  the  beautiful  country  of  the  Six  Nations, 
destroying  their  villages,  and  devastating  their  lields,  as  a 
retributive  chastisement  for  their  repeated  invasions  of  the 
Mohawk  and  Minisin  settlements,  and  laying  waste  the 
lovely  vale  of  Wyoming. 

The  war  had  now  dragged  its  slow  length  along  for  live 
:;uccessive  campaigns,  and  the  Britisli  had  gained  but  few 
permanent  foot-holds  in  the  revolted  Colonies.  Instead  of 
the  prompt  and  easy  conquest  they  had  promised  themselves, 
they  had  encountered  determined  opposition  wherever  tliey 
had  shown  the  red  cross  of  St.  George,  or  disphned  their 
red-coated  soldiery.  Repeated  defeats  on  the  part  ot  the 
Americansihad  tiiy;ved  to  inure  them  to  tb.o  hardships  of 
war,  and  KKftrwst  them  how  to  profit  by  their  experiences  and 
disasters. 

New  efforts  were  demanded  on  the  part  of  the  British 
Government  to  subdue  their  rebellious  subjects  ;  and  South 
Carolina  was  chosen  as  the  next  field  of  extensive  opera- 
tions. Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  had  met  so  signal  a  repulse 
at  Charleston  in  1776,  and  in  whose  breast  still  rankled  the 
mortifying  recollections  of  that  memorable  failure,  resolved 
to  head  in  person  the  new  expedition  against  the  Palmetto 
Colony,  and  retrieve,  if  possible,  the  honor  so  conspicu- 
ously tarnished  there  on  his  previous  unlortunate  enterprise. 

Having  enjo3'ed  the  Christmas  holiday  of  1779  in  New 
York  harbor,  Sir  Henry,  accompanied  by  Lord  Cornwallis, 
sailed  tVom  Sandy  Hook  the  next  day  with  the  fleet  under 
Admiral  Arbuthnot,  transporting  an  army  of  o\er  se\en 
thousand  five  hundred  men.  Some  of  the  vessels,  however, 
were  lost  by  the  way,  having  encountered  stormy  weather 
in  the  gulf-stream — one  bark,  carrying  Hessian  trorps,  was 
dismasted  and  driven  across  the  ocean,  an  ordnance  vessel 
was  foundered,  while  several  transports  were  cajitured  by 
bold  and  adventurous  American  privateers,  and  most  of  the 
horses  for  the  expedition  perished.     The  place  of  rendez- 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


21 


vous  was  at  T3'bee  Bay,  near  the  entrance  to  Savannah 
river,  whence  Clinton,  on  his  way  towards  Charleston,  was 
Joined  hv  the  troops  in  Georj^na,  making  his  force  nine 
thou5*find  strong,  besides  the  sailors  in  the  fleet ;  but  to  ren- 
der his  numbers  invincible  beyond  all  peradventure,  he  at 
once  ordered  from  New  York  Lord  Rawdon's  brigade, 
amountini:  to  about  two  thousand  live  hundred  more. 

Charleston,  against  which  this  formidable  British  force 
was  destined,  was  an  opulent  city  of  some  fifteen  thousand 
people,  wliite  and  black,  and  was  garrisoned  by  less  than 
four  thousand  men — not  near  enough  to  properly  man  the 
extended  works  of  defence,  of  nearly  three  miles  in  circum- 
ference, as  they  demanded.  Governor  Rutledge,  a  man 
of  unquestioned  patriotism,  had  conferred  upon  him  by  the 
Legislature,  in  anticipation  of  this  threatened  attack,  dicta- 
torial powers,  with  the  admonition,  'to  do  every  thing 
necessary  for  the  public  good  ;  "  but  he  was,  nevertheless, 
practicalh'  powerless.  He  had  few  or  none  of  the  sinews 
of  war ;  and  so  depreciated  had  become  the  currency  of 
South  Carolina,  that  it  required  seven  hundred  dollars  to 
jiurchase  a  pair  of  shoes  for  one  of  her  needy  soldiers.  The 
defeat  of  the  combined  French  and  American  force  at  Savan- 
nah the  preceding  autumn,  in  which  the  South  Carolinians 
largely  particip;iled,  had  greatly  dispirited  the  people  ;  and 
the  Governor's  appeal  to  the  militia  produced  very  little  effect. 
The  six  old  South  Carolina  regiments  had  been  so  depleted 
by  sickness  and  the  casualties  of  war  as  to  scarceb-  number 
eight  Inmdred,  all  told  ;  and  the  defence  of  the  city  was 
committed  to  these  brave  men,  the  local  militia,  and  a  few 
regiments  of  Continental  troops — the  latter  reluctantly 
spared  by  Washington  from  the  main  army,  and  whicli.  In 
thought,  was  "  putting  much  to  nazard"  in  an  attempt  to 
defend  the  city,  and  the  result  proved  his  military  foresight. 
It  would  have  been  wiser  for  General  Lincoln  and  his 
troops  to  have  retired  from  the  place,  and  engaged  in  a 
Fabian  warfare,  harassing  the  enemy's  marches  by  ambus- 


22 


.KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Ciides,  and  cuttint^  oil"  his  foragini^  parties ;  but  the  leading 
citizens  ot*  Charleston,  relvinij  on  their  former  success, 
urged  every  argument  in  their  power  that  the  city  sliould  be 
defended  to  the  last  extremity.  Yet  no  experienced  En- 
gineer regarded  the  phice  as  tenable. 

On  the  eleventli  of  February,  1780,  the  Britisli  forces 
landed  on  St.  John's  Island,  within  thirty  miles  of  Charles- 
ton, subsequently  forming  a  depot,  and  building  fortifications, 
at  Wappoo,  on  James"  Isi  lud  ;  and,  on  the  twenty-sixth  ot" 
that  month,  tliey  gained  a  distant  view  of  the  place  and  har- 
bor. The  dreaded  da}'  of  danger  approached  nearer  and 
nearer;  and  on  the  twenty-seventh,  the  ollicers  of  the  Con- 
tinental squadron,  which  carried  one  hundred  and  tifty  guns, 
reported  their  inability  to  guard  the  harbor  at  the  bar,  where 
the  best  defence  could  be  made  :  and  "  then,"  as  Wasliington 
expressed  it,  "the  attempt  to  defend  the  town  ought  to  have 
been  relinquished."  But  no  such  thought  was  entertained. 
Ever}'  thing  was  done,  that  coidd  be  done,  to  strengtlien 
and  extend  the  lines  of  defence,  dig  ditches,  erect  redoubts 
and  plant  abatis,  with  a  strong  citadel  in  the  center.* 

Preparations,  too,  were  steadily  progressing  on  the  part 
of  the  enemy.  On  the  twenty-fourth  of  March,  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  and  a  Hessian  ollicer  were  seen  with  their  spy- 
glasses making  observations;  and  on  the  twenty-ninth,  the 
British  passed  Ashley  river,  breaking  ground,  on  the  tirst 
of  April,  at  a  distance  of  eleven  himdred  yards  Irom  the 
American  lines.  At  successive  periods  they  erected  five 
batteries  on  Charleston  Neck. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  March  thirtieth,  General  Charles 

*  There  was  published,  first  in  a  Williamshurgli,  \'a.,  paper  of  April  8th,  1780,  copied 
i  ito  Dunlap's  Pennsylvania  Packet  o(  April  iStli,  and  into  the  New  York  Koyal  Gazette  01 
~  ime  date,  an  account  of  a  Colonel  Hamilton  Ilallendine  havinp  made  drawings  of  Cliarlesion 
and  its  fortifications,  was  directing  his  course  to  the  enemy,  when  an  American  pi(  kct 
guard  sent  out  to  Stono.  captured  him;  he.  thereupon,  exhihited  his  dr:ifts,  supposing  that 
the  party  belonced  to  the  Uritish  army.  They  soon  clisahuscd  him  of  his  error,  carried 
him  to  General  Lincoln,  who  ordered  him  for  execution,  and  he  was  accordingly  hanged  on 
the  5th  of  March.  As  none  of  the  South  Carolina  historians,  nor  any  of  the  Charleston 
diarists  or  letter  writers  during  the  siege,  make  the  slightest  refer.Micc  to  any  such  person 
or  circiimstance,  there  could  have  been  no  foundation  for  the  story. 


i 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


23 


Scott,  commandiiio-  one  of  the  Mrginia  Continental  bri- 
gade, arrived,  accompanied  by  his  stall",  and  some  other 
otlicers.  "The  next  morning,"  says  Major  Croghan,  "I 
accompanied  Generals  Linc(jln  and  Scott  to  view  the  batteries 
and  works  around  town  ;  Ibund  those  on  the  Cooper  river  side 
in  prettv  good  order,  and  chielly  manned  by  sailors  ;  but  the 
greater  part  of  the  remainder  not  complete,  and  stood  in 
need  of  a  great  deal  of  work.  General  Scott  was  very  par- 
ticular in  in(|uiring  of  General  Lincoln  as  to  the  quantity  of 
provisions  in  tlie  garrison,  when  the  General  informed  him 
there  were  se\eral  months'  supplv,  b\'  a  return  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Commissary.  General  Scott  urged  the 
necessit}'  of  having  officers  to  examine  it,  and,  as  he  ex- 
pressed \\.^for  them  to  hw  tJtcir  hands  on  it.''* 

A  sortie  was  planned  on  the  fourth  of  April,  to  be  com- 
manded by  General  Scott — one  battalion  led  by  Colonel 
Clarke  ,.  d  Major  Hogg,  of  North  Carolina;  another  by 
Colonel  Parker  and  Major  Croghan,  of  Virginia,  and  the 
light  infantry  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Laurens  ;  but  the  wind 
proved  unfavorable,  which  prevented  the  shipping  from 
going  up  Town  creek,  to  lire  on  the  enemy,  and  give  the 
sallying  parly  such  assistance  as  they  might  be  able  to  ren- 
der, and  thus  it  failed  of  execution.  General  Woodford's 
Virginia  brigade  of  Continentals  arrived  on  the  sixth,  and 
some  North  Carolina  militia  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Harrington.  They  were  greeted  by  the  firing  of  a  /cti  de 
j'oic,  and  the  ringing  of  the  bells  all  night. f 

Admiral  Arbuthnot's  near  approach  to  the  bar,  on  the 
seventh  of  April,  induced  Commodore  Whipple,  who  com- 
manded the  American  na\-al  force,  to  retire  without  firing  a 
gun,  lirst  to  Fort  Moultrie,  and  afterward  to  Charleston  ;  and 
the  British  fleet  passed  the  fort  without  stopping  to  engage 
it — the  passage  having  been  made,  savs  the  New  Jersey 


*  MS.  Journal  of  Major  William   Croghan,  of  the  Virginia    Line.    Siejje  of   Charles- 
ton, ijj. 

■fCroshan's  MS.  Journal. 


J-S) 


24 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


\ 


Gazcltv*  while  a  severe  thuiuler  slorni  was  raging,  which 
caused  the  ships  to  be  "•invisible  near  hall"  the  time  of  their 
passing.''  Colonel  Charles  C.  Pinckney,  who  commanded 
there,  with  three  hundred  men,  kept  up  a  heavy  cannon- 
ade on  the  British  ships  dining  their  passage,  which  was 
returned  by  each  of  the  vessels  as  they  passed — the  enemy 
losing  fourteen  men  killed,  and  lifteen  wounded,  while  not 
a  man  was  hurt  in  the  garrison. f  One  ship  had  its  fore- 
topmast  shot  away,  and  others  sustained  damage.  The 
Acteus  transport  ran  aground  near  Iladdrell's  Point,  when 
Captain  Thomas  Gadsden,  a  brother  of  Colonel  Gadsden, 
who  was  detached  with  two  field  pieces  for  the  purpose,  lired 
into  her  with  such  effect,  that  the  crew  set  her  on  lire,  and 
retreated  in  boats  to  the  other  vessels.  The  Royal  fleet,  in 
about  two  hours,  came  to  anchor  within  long  shot  of  the 
American  batteries. 

By  the  tenth  of  April,  the  enemy  had  completed  their 
first  parallel,  when  Clinton  and  Arbuthnot  summoned  the 
town  to  surrender.  Lincoln  answered  :  ''From  duty  and 
inclination  I  shall  support  the  town  to  the  last  extremity." 
A  severe  skirmish  had  previously  taken  place  between 
Lieutenant-Colonel  John  Laurens  and  the  advance  guard  of 
the  enemy,  in  which  the  Americans  lost  Captain  Bowman 
killed,  and  Major  Ilyrne  and  seven  privates  wounded.  On  the 
twelfth,  the  batteries  on  both  sides  were  opened,  keeping  up 
an  almost  incessant  lire.  The  British  had  the  decided  ad- 
vantage in  the  number  and  strength  of  their  mortars  and 
royals,  having  twentN'-one,  while  the  Americans  possessed 
only  two  \\  and  the  lines  of  the  latter  soon  began  to  crumble 
under  tlie  powerful  and  constant  cannonade  maintained 
against  them.     On  the  thirteenth.  Governor  Rutledge  was 


*  May  i2th,  1700. 

t  Croyh.in's  MS.  Journal. 

JSiu,h  is  tile  staicinent  of  Dr.  R.nms.iy,  who  was  present,  during  the  siege.  The 
British  olTicial  returns  show  nine  mortars,  ranging  from  four  to  ten-inch  caliber,  and  one 
eight-incli  howitzer,  surrondcreil  at  Charlesion.  and  a  ten-inch  mortar  taken  at  Fort  Moul- 
trie; but  probably  the  most  of  these  were  either  unfit  for  use,  or  more  likely,  the  limited 
quantity  of  shells  enabled  the  defenders  to  make  use  of  only  two  of  this  class  of  ordnance. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


25 


persiiacled  to  withdraw  from  the  garrison,  whilo  exit  was 
yet  attainable,  leaving  Lieutenant-Governor  (ladsilen  with 
five  members  of  the  Council. 

On  the  same  day.  General  Lincoln,  in  a  council  of  war, 
revealed  to  its  members  his  w  ant  ot  ri'sources,  and  suggested 
an  evacuation.  '•  In  such  circumstances,"  said  General  Mc- 
intosh, '•  we  should  lose  not  an  hour  in  attempting  to  get 
the  Continental  troops,  at  least,  over  Cooper  ri\er  ;  for  on 
their  safet\-,  depends  the  salvation  of  the  State."  Hut  Lin- 
coln only  wished  them  to  give  the  matter  mature  consider- 
ation, and  he  would  consult  them  further  about  it.  lietbre 
he  met  them  again,  the  American  cavalry  at  Monk's  Corner, 
which  had  been  relied  on  to  keep  open  the  communication 
between  the  city  and  the  country,  were  surprised  and  dis- 
persed on  the  Iburteenth  ;  and  li\e  days  later,  the  expected 
British  reinforcements  of  two  thousand  li\e  hundred  men 
arrived  from  New  York,  when  Clinton  was  enabled  more 
completel}-  to  environ  the  devoted  city,  and  cut  otT  all  chance 
of  escape. 

A  stormy  council  was  held  on  the  nineteenth,  when  the 
heads  of  the  several  military  dej^artments  reported  their 
respective  conditions — of  course,  anvthini{  but  llatlerinir  in 
their  character.  Several  of  the  members  still  inclined  to  an 
evacuation,  notwithstanding  the  increased  dilliculties  of 
eflecling  it  since  it  was  iirst  suggested.  In  the  midst  of  the 
conference,  Lieutenant-Governor  Gadsden  happened  to  come 
in — whether  by  accident,  or  design,  was  not  known — and 
General  Lincoln  "curteously  proposed  that  he  be  allowed  to 
take  part  in  the  council.  He  appeared  surprised  and  dis- 
pkajedthat  a  thought  had  been  entertained  of  either  evacu- 
ation or  capitulation,  and  acknowledged  himself  entirelv 
ignorant  of  the  state  of  the  provisions,  etc.,  but  would  con- 
sult his  Council  in  regard  to  the  proposals  suggested. 

In  the  evening,  an  adjourned  meeting  was  held,  when 
Colonel  Laumoy,  of  the  engineer  department,  reported  the 
insulhciency  of  the  fortilications,  the  improbability  of  holdin<'- 


26 


A'/A'US  MOUNTAIN 


out  iiianv  clays  lonjjjer,  and  llu-  impracticability  nf  making 
a  retreat :  and  closed  by  siigi^estin^'  that  terms  of"  iionorable 
capitulation  be  souijht  from  tlie  eiu'iuy.  Lu'utenant-(]tov- 
ernor  ( iailsden,  with  tour  ofhis  Councilors,  coming  in  shorti\- 
atli-r.  treated  the  military  gentlemen  very  rudely,  the  Lieut- 
i'nant-(ro\  ernor  declaring  that  he  would  protest  against  their 
proci'edings  ;  that  tlie  militia  were  willing  to  li\e  upon  rice 
alone,  rather  than  give  up  the  town  on  any  terms ;  and  that 
even  the  old  women  had  become  so  accustomed  to  the  ene- 
my's shot,  that  they  traveled  the  streets  without  tear  or 
dread  :  but  it"  the  council  were  determined  to  capitulate,  he 
had  his  terms  ready  in  his  pocket. 

Mr.  Thomas  Ferguson,  one  of  the  Councilors,  declared 
that  the  inhabitants  ot'the  city  had  observed  the  boats  col- 
lected to  carry  olV  the  Continental  troops  ;  and  that  they 
would  keep  a  good  watch  upon  the  army,  and  should  any 
attempt  at  exacuation  ever  be  made,  he  would  be  among 
the  tirst  to  open  the  gates  for  the  admission  of  the  enemy, 
and  assist  them  in  attacking  the  retiring  troops  Colonel  C. 
C.  Pinckney  soon  after  came  in  abruptly — probably  having 
been  apprised  by  the  Lieulenanl-Goxernor  of  the  subject 
under  discussion — and,  forgetting  his  usual  politeness,  ad- 
dressed General  Lincoln  with  great  warmth,  and  in  much  the 
same  strain  as  General  Gadsden.  addin<>-  that  those  who  were 
lor  business  needed  no  cc)uncil,  and  that  he  came  over  on 
purpose  from  Fort  Moultrie,  to  prevent  any  terms  being 
oftered  to  the  enemy,  or  any  evacuation  of  the  garrison  at- 
tempted :  and  particularly  charged  Colonel  Laumoy  and  his 
department  with  being  the  sole  authors  and  promoters  of 
such  proposals.* 

It  is  very  certain,  that  these  suggestions  of  evacuation  or 
capitulation,  occasioned  at  the  time  great  discontent  among 
both  the  regulars  and  militia,  who  wished  to  defend  the  city 

*The  details  of  tins  military  council  arc  taken  from  Major  Crnclian's  MS.  Trmnial  ;  and 
from  General  Mc'ntosli's  Journal,  piibli-hed  entire  hi  the  Muf^iiii/M  Mncazine,  Dec.  1842,  and 
cited  in  Simms'  South  Carolina  in  tin  Jievolution,  127-129,  both  of  which  are,  in  this  case, 
identical  in  language. 


I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


Ti 


to  the  hist  extnniil\-  ,  ami  who  it>()I\i'i1.  in  view  ofcontiiiu 
in<>-  tlu'  lU'k'iK-e,  llial  llu-v  woulil  In-  *.(>iUciU.  if  lU'i'i'ssarv, 
will)  oiilv  hair  raliDUS  daily.*  All  iIk-sl-  ^ooil  prople  had 
llu'ir  wishes  gralitifd — Uk'  sioor  was  prucrastinatod,  and 
many  an  addiuonal  death,  siitlrrin^.  sorrow,  and  anguish, 
wort.'  the  consriincncL'. 

General  Linioln  must  liave  l\ll  hurl,  il  not  sorely  nelUed. 
hv  these  repealed  insults — as  General  Melnlosii  aeknow  I- 
edges  that  he  did.  When  matters  of  ^real  pulilic  eoneern 
result  disastrously,  scape-goi-.ts  are  always  souj^ht,  and  all 
participants  are  apt  to  feel  more  or  less  unamiable  and 
faull-frndiuLj  on  such  occasions.  Or,  as  Washington  ex- 
pressed il.  referring  to  another  alFair.  "mutual  reproaches 
too  often  follow  the  failure  of  enterprises  depending  upon  the 
cooperation  of  troops  of  dilleront  grades."  Looking  at  these 
bickerings  in  the  light  of  history,  a  ciMUury  after  their  oc- 
currence, one  is  struck  with  General  Lincoln's  magnanimous 
forbearance,  when  he  coulessedly  made  great  sacrilices  in 
defending  the  place  st)  long  against  his  belter  jiulgment,  in 
deference  to  the  wishes  ot"  the  peojile,  who,  we  may  well 
conclude,  were  ver\-  unfit  judges  of  military  allairs. 

At  another  council  of  ollkHM-s.  held  on  tlie  twentieth  and 
twenl\-lirst,  the  important  subject  of  an  evacuation  was  again 
under  ileliberation  :  and  the  conclusion  n'ached  was,  '•that  it 
was  imad\-isable.  because  of  the  ()]iposiliun  made  l(j  it  by 
the  ci\il  authority  and  the  inhabitants,  and  because,  even  if 
the\-  should  succeed  in  defeating  a  large  bod\-  of  the  enem\' 
posted  in  their  way.  they  hatl  not  a  sutFiciencN'  of  boats  to 
cross  the  Santee  before  they  might  be  o\ertaken  by  the 
whole  British  army. '"I      Tt  was  then   proi^osed   to  give  Sir 


••'Ms.  letter  <if  J''hii  Lcwi^i  Oervais,  cilcil  in  Simnis.  1^9. 

t  The  enemy  were  c<Mistantly  1)11  the  watch  f.ir  any  attempti'd  evacnntion  tin  the  [i.crt 
'  f  the  Anicricaiis.  Capt  J.  R.  Ruusselet.  of  'I'arleton's  cavalry,  has  left  this  MS.  note, 
written  on  the  margin  of  a  copy  of  Steadman's  American  ll'ur.  referrinj  to  the  closing 
period  01  the  siege:  "Some  small  vessels,  taken  from  the  .■\mcrlcans.  were  armed,  manr.ed 
with  troops,  and  stationed  off  Town  Creek,  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  garrison  should 
they  attempt  to  evacuate  the  town  by  that  channel,  Capt.  Roussclet  commanded  ail 
armed  sloop,  with  his  company  on  board,  under  Capt.  Salisbury,  Royal  Navy." 


(  \ 


28 


A'/A'G  S  MOUNTAIN 


IIiMiry  Clinton  (luii-t  jiossi-ssion  of  the  city,  with  its  fortifi- 
cations ami  (K'prn(lt.'nci(.'s.  on  condition  that  tlK'  security  of 
tlio  inluihitants.  ami  a  salr.  unimiK-sli'd  retreat  for  the  /gar- 
rison, with  haiijiLjanc  ami  licld  pii'crs.  to  the  norlh-i'ast  of 
Chark'ston  sIkuiKI  bo  granted.  'These  terms  wen-  instantly 
rejected.  On  searchini^^  t-very  house  in  town,  it  was  found 
that  the  private  suppHes  of  pro\isions  were  as  m-arly  ex- 
hausted as  were  the  public  mai^a/mes. 

On  the  twenty-fourth,  at  daybreak.  Lieutenant-Ct)lonel 
Ilendt'rson  sallied  out  with  two  humln-d  men.  chii'lly  from 
Generals  Wot)dford's  and  Scott's  brigades,  surprising"  and 
vigorously  attackin<r  i1k>  advance  llankini;"  party  (A  the 
enemy,  bayoneting-  tifleen  of  them  in  their  trenches,  ami 
capturini;"  a  do/.en  prisoners,  of  whom  seven  were  wounded, 
losiujLj;  in  tlu-  brilliant  allair,  the  brave  Captain  Thomas  Gads- 
den and  one  or  two  privates.  A  considi'rabU'  body  of  tlie 
enemy,  under  Major  Hall,  of  the  se\  I'lUy-fourth  n-i^inu'nl, 
attempted  to  support  tlie  part}-  in  the  trenches;  but  were 
oblij^ed  to  retire  on  receiving  a  shower  of  grape  from  the 
Anu-rican  batteries.'*  A  successful  enterprise  of  this  kind 
proved  onl\  a  momentary  advantage,  having  no  perceptibk' 
inlluence  on  the  linal  result. 

It  is  said  Colonel  C.  C.  Pinckney,  and  Lieutenant-Cok)nel 
Laurens,  assured  General  Lincoln  they  could  supply  the  gar- 
rison with  plenty  of  beef  from  Lempriere's  Point,  if  they  were 
permitted  to  remain  on  that  side  of  Coo|-)er  river  with  the  ibrce 
then  under  their  commaml  :  upon  which  the  Commissary  was 
ordered  to  issue  a  full  allowance  again.  But  unfortunately 
the  fn-sl  and  onl\-  cattle  butchered  at  Lempriere's  for  the  use 
of  the  garrison  were  altogether  spoiled  through  neglect  or 
mismanagement  before  they  came  over.  These  gentlemen, 
are  said,  also,  to  have  promised  that  the  communication  on 
the  Cooper  side  could,  and  W(mld,  be  kept  open.  Being  in- 
habitants of  Charleston,  and  knowing  the  country  well,  per- 
haps the  General,  with  some  reason,  might  be  inclined  to  the 

*Croghau's  MS.  Journal. 


-:^* 


AND  ITS  iri'.ROFS. 


29 


snme  opinion  ;  and  besidrs  rinnishini,^  thr  irarrison  with  beef, 
tlu'v  were  to  send  a  sulliiii'nl  numlnT  of  lU'irroes  over  to 
town  for  the  niililary  works,  who  wimv  much  wanted.  I>iit 
Colonel  Pinckney  witli  the  nrralcr  pari,  or  ahnosl  tlu'  whole 
of  his  lirst  Soiilii  Carolina  reginienl.  and  Lieuttiiant-Coloiu-I 
Laurens  with  the  linht  infantry  were  recalled  iVotn  Fort  Moul- 
trit-  and  Leiii]irii're"s  * — aiul  thusended  this  spasmodic  hope. 
I'rohablv  this  t'ailure  caused  a  strict  search  to  he  made, 
ahoul  this  tinu',  in  the  houses  ol"  the  citizens  tor  provisions; 
'•  some  was  found,"  says  Major  Cro^ifhan,  ••  but  a  much  less 

mtit\-  than  was  supposed."" 

The  Americans  were  not  slow  in  perccivini^  the  utter 


qu 


ess  of  their  situalion.    Onllie  twent\'-si.\th,  Cieneral 


nopelessn 

Dul'ortail,  an  able  J^'rench  ollicer  and  En^ineer-in-Cliief 
of  the  American  army,  arrived  from  i'hiladelpliia,  having 
been  sent  by  Washington  to  supervise  the  engineer  depart- 
ment. He  frankly  inlormed  General  Lincoln  that  there  was 
no  prospect  of  getting  any  reinforcements  very  soon  from  the 
grand  army — that  Congress  had  proposed  to  General  Wash- 
ington to  send  the  Maryland  Line  to  their  relief.+  As  soon 
as  General  Dul'ortail  came  into  the  garrison,  examined  the 
military  works,  and  obser\ed  the  enemy,  he  declared  the 
defences  were  not  tenable — that  the\-  were  only  field  lines; 
and  that  the  British  might  have  taken  the  place  ten  da\  s  ago. 
"  I  found  the  town,"  wrote  DuPortail  to  Washington,  "  in 
a  desperate  state. '"|  He  wished  to  leave  the  garrison  imme- 
diately, while  it  was  possible;  butGeneral  Lincoln  would  not 
allow  him  to  do  so.  as  it  would  dispirit  the  troops.  On 
learning  General  1  )uPortairs  opinion,  a  council  was  called  the 
same  day,  and  a  proposition  made  lor  the  Continental  troops 
to  make  anight  retreat :  and  when  the  citizens  were  inf(M-med 
of  the  subject  under  delibi-ration.  some  of  them  came  into 
the  council,  warmly  declaring  to  General  Lincoln,  thatif  he 
attempted  to  withdraw  the  troops  and  abandon  the  citizens, 

*CrnBhan's  MS.  Journal  ;  ami  Mcintosh's  Diary. 

t  Croj;lian's  MS.  Journal. 

{  Letters  to  Washington,  ii,  450. 


■ 

til 


80 


KING'S  AWUNTAIN 


they  would  cut  up  his  boats,  aud  open  the  f^'atcs  to  the  enemy, 
This  put  au  L'ud  to  all  l'iiitlu>r  thouj^hts  of  an  evacuation.* 

As  lati>  as  tin-  Iwi'uty-i'ii^litli,  a  supernumerary  ollicer 
left  town  to  join  the  forces  in  the  country  ;  but  the  next  da\-  the 
small  party  reiuainini;-  at  Lmipricre's  I'oiiU  was  recallrd, 
the  I'neuiy  at  once  occupyiuLf  it  with  alarj^e  force  ;  and  thus 
the  last  avenue  betwi'i>n  the  city  and  country  was  closed. 
General  Lincoln  infortned  the  j^eneral  oflicers.  privately,  this 
day,  that  Ik-  intended  thf  horn  work  as  a  ]ilace  of  retreat 
for  the  whole  army  in  case  tlu'y  w  ere  dri\  (.-n  from  the  lines. 
General  Mcintosh  observinjr  to  him  the  imjiossibilit}-  of  those 
then  stationed  at  South  Bay  and  .\shley  river,  in  such  a 
contingi'ucy,  beini;-  able  to  retreat  there,  he  replied  that  thev 
might  secure  themselves  as  best  they  could.  And  on  the 
thirtieth,  in  some  way,  (iovernor  Rutledj^e  managed  to  con- 
vey a  letter  to  General  Lincoln,  upon  which  the  General  con- 
gratulated the  army,  in  general  orders,  on  /icar/iii>uix\  large 
reinforcement,  which  iiKtv  again  open  the  comnumication 
with  the  coiuury.f  It  was  the  old  story  of  drowning  men 
catching  at  straws. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  the  daily  di-lails  of  the 
protracted  siege.  Some  of"  the  more  unusual  occurri'uces 
only  need  be  briefly  noticed,  so  that  we  may  hasten  on  to  the 
melancholv  catastrophe.  I'^cniui  vessels  were  sunk  in  the 
channel  U)  ]")re\rnt  the  Royal  lleet  h^om  passing  up  Cooper 
ri\er,  and  eulilading  the  American  lines  on  that  si(U>  of  the 
place  ;  while  a  iVigate  and  two  galleys  were  j^laced  above 
the  sunken  obstructions,  to  cix'iperate  with  the  shore  batter- 
ies in  thwarting  any  attempt  on  the  part  ot"  tlu>  enemy  for 
their  removal. 

But  the  work  of  destruction  went  steadily  on.  Cannon 
balls  by  day  and  by  night  went  streaking  through  the  air. 
and  crashing  through  the  bouses.  One  morning,  a  shell 
burst  ver}'^  near  Colonel    Parker,  a  large  piece  of  which  fell 

*  Moultrie's  Memoirs,  i.  80. 
tCrogliau's  MS.  Juiir[ial. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


31 


harmless  at  his  feet,  when  he  said,  willi  much  composure, 
"a  miss  is  as  ^ood  as  a  mile:"*  aiul,  that  very  evenin;^, 
while  the  gallant  Colonel  was  lookin;^^  oNir  llie  parapet,  he 
was  shot  (lead.  Shells,  liri'-balls,  and  carcasses,  ingen- 
iously packed  with  condnistihlcs,  loaded  pistol  barrels,  and 
other  (U'struclive  missiles,  were  thrown  into  tlu-  city,  setting 
many  buildings  on  lire,  and  maiming  and  destroying  not  a 
few  of  the  citizens  and  soldiery.  Gn  one  occasioji,  when  ii 
pastor  and  a  tew  worshipers,  mostly  women  and  in\alids, 
were  gathered  in  a  ciunch,  supplicating  llie  mercies  of 
heaven  on  themselves  and  sullering  people,  a  bomb-shell 
fell  in  the  chuch-yard.  when  all  (.|uickly  dispersed,  retiring 
to  their  several  places  of  abode. 

Some  of  the  cases  of  fatality  were  ([uite  uncommon. 
Meyer  Moses'  young  child  was  killed  while  in  the  arms  of 
its  nurse,  and  die  house  burned  down.  A  man  and  his  wife 
were  killed  at  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  bed.  A  sol- 
dier who  had  been  relieved  from  serving  at  his  post  in  the 
defence  of  the  city,  entered  his  humbU'  domicil.  and  while  in 
the  act  of  embracing  his  anxious  wife,  witli  tears  of  gladness, 
a  cannon  ball  passed  thrt)ugh  the  house,  killing  them  both 
instantly.  Many  sought  safety  in  their  cellars;  but  e\  en 
when  protected  for  ihe  moment  from  the  constantly  falling 
missiles  of  death  and  destruction,  they  began  to  suiTer  for 
want  of  food,  since  all  the  avenues  to  the  city  for  country 
sujiplies.  had  been  cut  olT. 

General  Moultrie  has  left  us  a  vivid  picture  of  this  period  of 
the  siege  :  "  Mr.  Lord  and  Mr.  Basquin,  two  volunteers,  were 
sleeping  upon  the  mattress  together,  in  the  advanced  redoubt, 
when  Mr.  Lord  was  killed  by  a  shell  falling  upon  liini.  and 
Mr  Basquin  at  the  same  time  had  the  hair  of  his  head  Inu-nl, 
and  did  not  awake  until  he  was  aroused  from  his  slumbers  by 
his  fellow  soldiers.  The  fatigue  in  that  advanced  redoul)t  was 
so  great  for  want  of  slecj. .  that  many  faces  were  so  swelled 
they  could  scarcely  see  out  of  their  eyes.    I  was  obliged  to  re- 

*  Virginia  Gazette,  May  i6,  17S0. 


« 


\\ 


82 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


lieve  Major  INIitchell,  the  commanding  officer.  Thej'-  were 
constantly  on  thi'  lookout  for  the  t-hclls  that  were  continually 
falling  among  them.  It  was  b}'  far  the  most  dangerous  post 
(jn  the  lines.  On  my  visit  to  the  battery,  not  having  been 
there  for  a  day  or  two,  I  Look,  the  usual  way  of  gtiing  in, 
which  was  a  bridge  that  crossed  our  ditch,  quite  exposed  to 
the  enem}-,  who,  in  the  meantime,  had  advanced  their  works 
within  seventy  or  eighty  yards  of  the  bridge,  which  I  did 
r.ot  know.  As  soon  as  1  had  stepped  upon  the  bridge,  an 
uncommon  number  of  bullets  whistled  about  me  ;  and  on 
looking  to  my  right,  I  could  just  see  the  heads  of  about 
twelve  or  fifteen  men  firing  upon  me  from  behind  a  breast- 
work— I  moved  on,  1  got  in.  When  Major  Mitchell  saw 
me,  he  asked  me  which  wa}-  1  came  in?  I  told  him  over 
the  bridge.  He  was  astonished,  and  said,  '  Sir,  it  isathou- 
sand  to  one  that  you  were  not  killed,'  and  told  me  that  he 
had  a  covered  way  through  which  to  pass,  by  which  he  con- 
ducted me  on  niv  return.  I  staid  in  this  battery  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  giving  the  necessar}'  orders,  during  which 
we  were  constantly  skipping  about  to  get  out  of  the  wav  of 
the  shells  tlr.\<\\  n  from  their  howitzers.  They  were  not  more 
than  one  hunilred  vards  from  our  works,  and  wert;  throwincr 
their  shells  in  bushels  on  our  front  and  left  flank.''* 

Under  date  of  die  second  of  May,  Major  Croghan  records 
in  his  Journal,  which  is  corroborated  by  General  Mcintosh's 
Diary,  that  the  enemy  threw  shells  charged  with  rice  and 
sucfar.  Simms  tell,  us.  that  tradition  has  it,  that  it  was  not 
rice  and  sugar  with  which  the  shells  of  the  British  v.'ere 
thus  ironically  charged,  but  wheat  flour  and  molasses — with 
an  inscription  addressed:  *•^^)  the  Yankee  officers  in 
Charleston,"  courteously  informing  them  that  it  contained  a 
.^ippl}'  of  the  commodities  of  which  the}'  were  supposed  to 
stand  most  in  need.  But  the  garrison  could  still  jest  amid 
sufTering.  volcanoes  and  death.  Having  ascertained  that 
the  shell  was  sent  them  from  a  battery  manned  exclusively 

^Moultrie's  Memoirs,  i,  83. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


83 


by  :i  Scottisli  force,  they  cmptii'd  the  shell  of  its  contents  ; 
and  rilling  it  with  lard  and  sulphur,  to  cure  them  of  the 
itch,  and  sent  it  back  to  their  courteous  assailants,  with  the 
same  inscription  which  originally  accompanied  it.  "  It  was 
understood,"  says  Garden,  "  after  the  sie^j^e,  that  the  note 
was  received,  but  not  with  that  good  humor  that  might  have 
been  expecled,  had  it  been  considered  as  '<\-  jcn  iVcsfrit^  re- 
sulting from  I'ustiiiable  retaliation." 

'*  Provisions,"  as  we  learn  from  Johnson's  Traditions^ 
"now  failed  among  the  besieged.  A  sufliciencv  had  been 
provided  for  llie  occasion:  but  the  beef  and  pork  had  be- 
come tainted  and  unlit  for  food."  But  tlie  Iiritish  "were 
misinformed,""  says  Moultrie,  '*  if  they  supposed  us  in  want 
of  rice  and  sugar."  Of  the  latter  ardcle,  at  least  during 
the  earlier  stages  of  the  siege,  such  was  its  plentifulness 
that  it  was  a  favorite  amusement  to  piu'sue  the  spent  hot 
shot  of  die  enemy,  in  order,  by  ilinging  sugar  upon  the 
balls,  to  con\ert  it  into  candy.  But  towards  the  close  of 
the  siege,  the  supply  of  sugar  must  have  become  limited. 
"On  the  fourth  of  May,"  sa}s  Major  Croghan, '•  we  received 
from  the  Commissary,  with  our  usual  allowance  of  rice,  six 
ounces  of  extremely  bad  meat,  and  a  little  colTee  and  sugar. 
It  has  been  very  disagreeable  to  the  northern  oOicers  and 
soldiers  to  be  undei  the  necessitj'  of  living  without  wheat  or 
Indian  bread,  which  has  been  the  case  during  the  whole 
siegi\"  So  that  the  Scotch  jokers  who  sent  their  shot, 
laden  wiUi  either  rice  and  sugar,  or  Hour  and  molasses,  iron- 
ically iiinting  at  the  deficiencies  of  the  beleaguered  garri- 
^;on,  did  not,  after  all,  hit  very  wide  of  the  mark. 

Clinton,  on  the  sixth  of  May,  renewed  his  former  terms 
for  the  sm'render  of  the  garrison.  With  the  limited  store 
of  provisions  on  hand,  with  no  prospects  of  receiving  fur- 
ther supplies  or  reinforcements,  and  with  the  admission  on 
the  part  of  the  Engineers  that  the  lines  could  not  be  main- 
^^  ined  ten  days  longer,  and  were  liable  to  be  carried  by  as- 
sault at  any  time,  General  Lincoln  was  disposed  to  accept  the 


\M 


84 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


terms  tendered  ;  but  he  was  opposed  by  the  citizens,  as  the}^ 
were  required  by  CHnton  to  be  prisoners  on  parole,  when 
they  wished  to  be  regarded  as  non-combatants,  and  not 
subject  to  the  rigorous  huvs  of  war  It  was  only  putting 
ofl'the  evil  day  tor  a  brief  period;  and  again  the  twenty- 
four  and  thirty-two  pound  carronades,  the  mortars  and 
howitzers,  belched  forth  their  shot,  shell  and  carcasses  upon 
die  devoted  town  and  garrison,  setting  many  buildings  on 
fire,  and  keeping  up  the  most  intense  excitement.  So  near 
were  now  the  opposing  parties,  that  they  coi  Id  speak  words 
of  bravado  to  each  other;  and  the  rifles  of  the  Hessian  Ya- 
gers were  so  unerring,  tliat  a  defender  could  no  longer  show 
himself  above  the  lines  with  safety  ;  and  even  a  hat  raised 
upon  a  ramrod,  was  instantlv  riddled  with  bullets. 

Captain  Hudson,  of  the  British  Navy,  on  the  fifth  of  May, 
summoned  Fort  Moultrie,  on  Sullivan's  Island  to  surrender ; 
the  larger  portion  of  its  garrison  ha\ing  pre\i()usly  retired 
to  Charleston.  Lieutenant-Colonel  William  Scott,*  who  com- 
manded, sent  for  answer  a  rollicking  reply  :  "  Tol,  lol,  de  rol, 
lol — Fort  Moultrie  will  be  defended  to  the  last  extremity." 
The  next  day,  Hudson  repeated  his  demand,  threatening  that 
if  he  did  not  receive  an  answer  in  fifteen  minutes,  he  would 
storm  the  fort,  and  put  everv  man  to  the  sword.  Scott,  it 
would  seem,  was  at  first  disjiosed  to  resort  to  bravado  of 
the  "last  extremity"  character;  but  recalled  the  oflicer 
bearing  it,  saying  on  further  reflection  the  garrison  thought 
better  of  it — the  disparity  of  force  was  far  too  great — and 
begging  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities,  proposed  terms  of  sur- 
render, which  were  granted  by  Captain  Hudson.  The  sur- 
render formally  took  place  on  the  seventh. f  Thus  the  historic 

*  Scott  was  a  lirave.  experienced  olTicer.  He  serveil  as  a  Captain  during  tlic  attack  on 
Charleston,  in  177O.  and  died  in  that  city  in  June,  1807. 

f  Gordon's  History  of  the  ReTolutioii.  iii.  354;  Moultrie's  Mctuoirs,  ii,  84;  Ramsay's 
Revolution  in  South  Carolina,  ii,  56.  Dancroft.  x,  305.  and  others,  give  May  6th  as  the  date 
of  surrender,  but  that  the  7th  was  the  true  date  of  this  occurrence  mr.y  he  seen  by  com- 
paring Tarleton's  Campaign,  53-55;  Botta's  Rn'ohifioii.  New  Haven  edition,  i?43.  ii.  ;?4g ; 
Johnson's  Trniiifions.  259;  Sinims'  South  Carolina  in  the  Revolution,  146;  and  Sie^e  oj 
Charleston.  Munsell,  1867,  p.  167. 


!    \ 


AND  ITS  HE  ROES. 


85 


s 
|te 


Fort  jMoultrie,  whicli  four  years  before  had  si;:^nally  repulsed 
a  powerful  JJritish  lleet  under  Admiral  Sir  Hyde  Parker, 
now  surrendered  to  the  enemy  without  firing  a  gun. 

Tiie  seventh  of  May  was  further  noted  by  an  unfortunate 
disaster — the  partial  destrucdon  of  the  principal  magazine 
of  the  garrison,  by  the  bursting  of  a  shell.  General  MoiUtrie 
had  most  of  the  powder — ten  thousand  pounds — removed  tr) 
the  nortli-east  corner  of  the  exchange,  where  it  was  carefullv 
bricked  up,  and  remained  undiscovered  b}-  the  British  during 
the  two  years  and  seven  months  they  occupied  the  city. 
Another  summons  was  sent  in  by  Clinton  on  the  eighth — a 
truce  was  granted  till  the  next  day  ;  when  Lincoln  endeav- 
ored to  secure  the  militia  from  being  considered  as  prisoners 
of  war,  and  the  protection  of  the  citizens  of  Souih  Carolina 
in  their  lives  and  property,  w  ith  twelve  months  allowance 
of  time  in  which  to  determine  whether  to  remain  under 
British  rule,  or  dispose  of  their  effects  and  remove  else- 
where. These  articles  were  promptl}^  rejected,  with  the 
announcement  on  the  part  of  Clinton  that  hostilities  would 
be  re-commenced  at  eight  o'clock  that  e\ening. 

"After  receiving  his  letter.*'  says  Moultrie,  "we  re- 
mained near  an  hour  silent,  all  calm  and  ready,  each  \vait- 
ing  for  the  other  to  begin.  At  length,  wo  fired  the  first  gun, 
and  immediately  followed  a  tremendous  cannonade — about 
one  hundred  and  eighty,  or  two  hundred  pieces  of  heavy 
cannon  were  discharged  at  the  same  moment.  The  mortars 
from  both  sides  threw  out  an  immense  number  of  shells.  It 
was  a  glorious  sight  to  see  them,  like  meteors,  crossing 
each  other,  and  bursting  in  the  air.  It  appeared  as  if  tlie 
stars  were  tumbling  down.  The  Hre  was  incessant  almost 
the  whole  night,  cannon  balls  whizzing,  and  shells  hissing, 
continually  among  us,  ammunition  chests  and  temporary 
magazines  blowing  up,  great  guns  bursting,  and  wounded 
men  groaning  along  die  lines.  It  was  a  dreadful  night !  It 
was  our  last  great  effort,  but  it  availed  us  nothing.  After  it, 
our  military  ardor  was  much  abated,  and  we  began  to  cool.'' 


w  \\ 


I 


36 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


III    (J 


When,  on  the  eleventh  of  May,  the  British  had  crossed  the 
wet  ditch  hy  sap,  and  were  within  twcnty-iivo  yards  of  the 
American  linos,  all  fartlior  defense  was  hopeless.  The  militia 
refused  to  do  duty.*  It  was  no  longer  a  question  of  expedi- 
ency ;  but  stern  necessity  demanded  a  speedy  surrender,  and 
the  stoppage  of  farther  carnage  and  sullering.  General  Lin- 
coln had  proved  himself  brave,  judicious  and  unwearied  in  his 
exertions  for  three  anxious  months  in  ballling  the  t'reatlv 
superior  force  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton  and  Admiral  Arbuth- 
not.  Hitherto  the  civil  aulliorities,  and  citizens  of  Charles- 
ton, had  stoutly  contended  that  the  city  should  be  defended 
to  the  last  extremity ;  but  now,  when  all  hope  was  lost,  a 
large  majority  of  the  inliabitants,  and  of  the  militia,  peti- 
tioned General  Lincoln  to  accede  to  the  terms  ofi'ered  by  the 
enemy.     The  next  da}-  articles  of  capitulation  were  signed. 

The  loss  of  the  Americans  during  the  siege  was  ninetv- 
eight  oll'cers  and  soldiers  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
six  wounded;  and  about  twenty  of  the  citizens  were  killed 
by  the  random  shots  of  the  eneni}-.  Upward  of  thirty 
houses  were  burned,  and  many  others  greatly  damaged. 
Besides  the  Continental  troops,  less  than  two  thousand,  of 
whom  five  hundred  were  in  hospitals,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  sailors.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  managed  to  enumer- 
ate among  the  prisoners  surrendered,  all  the  free  male 
adults  of  Charleston,  including  the  aged,  the  iniirm,  and 
even  the  Loyalists,  so  as  to  swell  the  number  of  his  formid- 
able conquest.  In  this  way,  his  report  was  made  to  boast 
of  over  live  thousand  six  hundred  prisoners,  wiien  the  Lo3'al- 
ist  pordon  but  a  few  days  afterwards  otlered  tlieir  congratu- 
lations on  the  reducdon  of  South  Carolina.  The  regular 
troops  and  sailors  became  prisoners  of  war  until  exchanged  ; 
the  militia  from  the  country  were  permitted  to  return  home 
on  parole,  and  to  be  secured  in  their  property  so  long  as 
their  parole  should  be  obser\-ed. 


*  Du  Portail  to  Washington,  Miy  17th,  1780. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


87 


CHAPTER  II. 


May,  1780. 


Further  Incidents  Connected  with  ///e  Sici^e. —  Tyranny  of  the  British 
Leaders. — Subjugation  of  South  Carolina. 

A  sad  accident  occurred  shortly  after  the  surrendci'. 
Tlie  arms  taken  iVom  the  troops  and  inhabitants,  amounting 
to  some  live  thousand,  were  lodged  in  a  laboratory,  near  a 
large  quantity  of  cartridges  and  loose  powder.  A  number 
of  the  British  ollicers  desiring  some  of  the  handsome  mounted 
swords  and  pistols,  went  to  the  place  of  deposit  to  select 
such  as  pleased  their  fancy,  when  through  carelessness  in 
snapping  the  guns  and  pistols,  the  loose  powder  was  ig- 
nited, which  communicated  to  the  cartridges,  blew  up  the 
building,  and,  in  an  instant,  guards,  officers,  arms,  colors, 
drums  and  fifes  were  sent  hio-h  into  the  air — the  mangled 
bodies  of  the  victims  were  dashed  by  the  violent  explosion 
against  the  neighboring  hcnises,  and,  in  one  instance,  against 
the  steeple  of  a  contiguous  church  edifice.  The  work-house, 
jail,  and  old  barracks  were  destroA'ed.  Captain  Collins, 
Lieutenants  Gordon  and  T^IcLeod,  together  with  some  fifty 
uf  the  British  guard,  and  upward  of  fifty  of  the  citizens,  lost 
their  lives  bv  this  unhappy  occurrence.* 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  at  least  during  a  portion  of  the 
siege,  Major  John  Andrd.  Deputy  iVdjutant-General  of  the 
British  army,  managed  in  some  way  to  get  into  the  city, 
and  made  his  home  with  Edward  Shrewsberry,  on  the  east 
side  of  East  Bay  street.  William  Johnson,  a  prominent 
Whig,  and  others,  saw  the  }'oung  man  at  Shrewsberry 's 
home? 


ph 


spur 


w4 


!'i:. 


■  \\  \- 


"  Uams:iys  Ri-voliition.  ii  62-63  ;   MoiiItiiL-'s  A/,'iii,'i>-s  ii.  109-112  ;   Pennsyivania  Journal. 
July  5tl),  1780;  Simms'  South  Carolina  in  the  Revolution.  156-157;   Mackeniie's  Stritturis,  24. 


38 


KIA'G'S  MOUNTAIN 


iii 


back  countryman,  connected  with  ilu-  \'iri,nnia  troops,  and 
had  brought  down  cattle  for  tlie  <^arrison.  \\\  this  cattle- 
drover  ruse,  lie  probably  gained  access  to  the  city.  lie 
was,  ol"  coursi\  there  for  a  ]')urpose — to  make  observaiions, 
and  gain  intelligence,  and  in  some  secret  way,  communicate 
the  result  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton  The  historian,  Ramsay, 
who  was  present  during  the  siege,  admits  that  there  were 
secret  friends  of  the  Royal  Government  in  the  city,  foment- 
ing disaflection,  and  working  on  the  fears  of  the  timid  :  and 
Moultrie,  another  e^e-witness,  tells  us  that  when  the  British 
marched  in.  to  take  possession  of  the  citv.  Captain  Roch- 
fort  said  to  him,  '•  Sir,  you  have  made  a  gallant  defence; 
but  you  had  a  great  many  rascals  among  you,  (and  men- 
tioned names,)  who  came  out  t'\  ery  night  and  gave  us  in- 
formation of  what  was  passing  in  your  garrison."* 

Stephen  Shrewsberry  becoming  sick,  stopped  with  his 
brother  Edward  awhile,  and  repeatedly  saw  Andrd  there — 
of  course,  bearing  some  assumed  name  ;  and  after  his  re- 
covery, and  the  surrender  of  the  city,  he  was  introduced  to 
the  same  person  at  his  brother's  as  Major  Andrd.  Stephen 
Shrewsberr}'  mentioned  this  singular  circumstance  to  his 
brother  Edward,  who  frankly  acknowledged  that  he  was 
the  same  person  ;  but  asserted  his  own  ignorance  of  it  at  the 
time  of  his  brother's  illness.  Marion's  men  subsequently 
sought  the  life  of  Edward  Shrewsberry,  charging  him  with 
treacber}'  to  the  American  cause  :  but  lie  survived  the  war, 
leaving  a  daughter,  a  very  amiable  lady,  who  lived  till  18^4, 
dying  childless. 

Certain  it  is,  that  Andrt^  was  the  devoted  friend  and  pro- 
tcgd  of  Sir  Ilenrv  Clinton,  who  made  him  his  Aid,  and  pro- 
moted him  to  the  position  of  Deputy  Adjutant-General  of  the 
British  army  in  America ;  and  it  is  equally  certain,  as 
shown  by  Beatson's  Memoirs,  that  "Adjutant-General,  Ma- 
jor John  Andrd "  was  with  the  "force  that  embarked  at 
New  York  under  Clinton  anil  Arbuthnot."     Tarleton  shows 


*  Kamsay  s  Revolution,  ii,  5S  ;   Moullric's  /Ihiiioirs.  ii.  loS. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


39 


that  Andre  was  porrormiiifr  service  in  front  of  Charleston 
prior  to  Arhuthnol's  passaj^e  of  Fort  Moultrie  c.rly  in  April ; 
a  letter  of  Andr«i's  is  in  print,  dated  at  "  Headquarters,  be- 
fore Charleston,"  on  the  thirteenth  of  April,  1780,  while 
the  schedule  of  Charleston  prisoners,  in  May,  was  reported 
by  him  in  his  official  capacity — all  .i(oin<jf  to  show,  beyond  a 
question,  that  he  was  at  or  near  Charleston  durinif  tlie  whole 
period  of  its  investment.  It  was  far  less  dangerous  for  him 
to  pass  to  and  from  the  city  durinuf  the  siege,  than  it  was  to 
visit  West  Point  on  his  subsequent  mission  to  tempt  the 
Judas  of  the  American  Revolution. 

However  fascinating  his  talents  and  deportment,  he  was 
not  entitled  to  the  commiseration  of  the  American  people  as 
an  honorable  but  unfortunate  foe.  Twice  he  acted  th-e  part 
of  an  insidious  spy,  corrupting  and  deceiving  with  falsehoods 
and  mean  dissimulation;  and  he  was  twice,  at  least,  guilty  of 
theft — once  while  stationed  in  Philadelphia,  plundering  from 
the  library  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  a  complete 
set  of  that  vahuible  work,  L' Encyclopedia,  received  as  a 
present  from  the  French  Academy  of  Science  b}'  the  hands 
of  Dr.  Franklin  ;  on  the  other  occasion,  taking  from  Dr. 
Franklin's  residence,  which  he  occupied  a  while,  a  portrait 
of  the  philosopher.* 

An  incident  connected  with  the  siege  and  surrender  of 
Charleston,  serving  to  illustrate  the  peculiarities  and  perils 
of  the  times,  will  verv  appropriately  find  a  place  here.  Rev. 
Dr.  Percy  resided  on  a  plantation  not  very  iar  from  Monk's 
Corner,  with  Mrs.  Thomas  Legare  for  a  near  neighbor. 
One  day — probably  the  thirteenth  of  May — while  Mrs.  Le- 
gart^  was  present,  Mrs.  Gibson,  a  poor  woman,  was  an- 
nounced while  the  family  and  their  visitor  was  at  their  meal. 
As  she  was  usuallv  the  bearer  of  ill  news,  her  visit  verv  natur- 


*  Johnsons  ^//(•o/"Cnr«<'.  i.  note  2t8-2og ;  Johnson's  Tradittovs  c/  the  iKn'oltil/on, 
*55-'57;  Sirgent's  l.iYe  of  Anil  re,  225-2^8;  Almon's  l\^mei>i'>ranccr.  x,  76-77;  Dawson's 
Btitlhs  of  ikf  United  St.it^s.  i,  578;  C  irrinijtois  liittlfs  of  the  Revoluiinn.  457;  Tirlcton's 
Ciim/'aigiis.  12.64;  Heathens  KnVtil  itml  Milllary  .Miinoirs.  vi.  2o!-2ot;  Moore's /Jya>> 
0/  ti^i  Rc-.'olution.  ii,  4S4 ;  and  Lossin;;'!.  Fichi  JJooli  v/tlii:  Revolution,  ii,  104. 


m 


t  ! 


5a 


40 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


all)'  cxcitc^d  the  anxiety  ofall.  Sho  exclaimed,  "  Good  mnrn- 
in^;  piM.plc  ;  have  you  heard  the  news?  Charleston  has  fallen, 
and  the  devilish  lirilish  soldiers  have  cnt  to  pieces  all  the 
men.  all  the  cats,  all  the  do^s,  and  now  they  are  coming  to 
kill  all  the  women  and  children."  Terrilied  by  her  excited 
and  incoherent  statement,  the  ladit's  looki-d  ready  to  faint; 
and  Dr.  Percy  cried  out,  "For  shame,  Mrs.  Gibson  :  do  you 
not  know  that  Mrs.  Legare's  husband  and  son  are  in 
CharK'siou,  and  you  will  frighten  her  to  death  by  your  wild 
talk."  "  Bless  you,  good  woman,"  replied  Mrs.  Gibson, 
turning  to  Mrs.  Legard,  "  I  have  a  husband  and  four  sons 
there,  too.  and  God  only  knows  if  any  ot'  them  li\'e."  In 
the  course  of  a  few  days.  Mrs.  Gilxson  recei\-ed  the  sad  in- 
telligence that  her  husband  and  lour  sons  had  all  becm  killed 
during  the  siege.*  Such  are  some  of  die  vicissitudes  of 
war. 

It  may  well  be  asked,  why  did  such  militarv  men  as 
Lincoln,  Moultrie.  Mcintosh,  Scott,  Woodford  and  others, 
suffer  themseh'es,  with  a  body  of  brave  troops,  to  be  cooped 
up  in  a  city  which  they  were  not  capable  of  successfully  de- 
fending ?  At  lirst  they  relied  on  the  promises  of  Congress 
and  tlie  Executive  authorities  of  North  and  South  Carolina  of 
sending  near  ten  thousand  men.  one-half  of  whom  should 
be  ri>gulars,  foi-  tlu"  defence  of  the  placet  In  the  latter 
part  of  February  it  was  reported  that  General  Ilogan  was 
advancing  with  troops  from  North  Carolina  :  that  General 
Moultrie  was  forming  a  camp  at  Bacon's  Bridge,  which  was 
subsequently  transferred  to  die  command  of  General  I  luger  ; 
that  a  thousand  men  were  expected  from  General  William- 
son's brigade  in  the  region  of  Ninety  Six  :  and  that  the 
veteran  General  Richardson,  and  Colonel  Kershaw,  were 
embod}'ing  the  militia  of  the  Camden  region.'!;  General 
Richardson  sickened  and  died  ;  General  Moultrie  from   ill- 


*  Howe's  Hist.  Presh.  Ch.  of  South  Carolina,  471. 

t  Ramsay's  Revolution,  ii,  5^;  Gordon's  American  War,  iii,  348;   MarshaM's  Washing- 
ton, iv,  141-42; 

J  Colonel  Laurens,  in  Alinon,  x,  53  :   Moore's  Materials Jor  History,,  17^. 


ti 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


41 


ncss  had  to  rolurn  to  the  city.  Coloiu-l  Sumter  at  that  lime 
liad  no  cominancl,  ami  Marion  was  liidiniLf  away  for  the 
recovery  of  a  broken  Hmb.  To  enthuse  the  uiiHtia.  and 
expedite  their  movements,  Governor  Rutled^c.  the  Patrick 
Ilenrv  of  South  Carolina,  and  a  part  ot'  his  Councilors,  left 
the  beleaijuered  city  in  April  ;  but  they  met  with  little  suc- 
cess. The  people  relied  too  much  upon  succors  from  the 
North  :  besides,  they  were  almost  destitute  of'  amnnuiition. 

Iloiran's  nartv  finallv  reacheil  the  cit\- :  and  about  that 
time  another  North  Carolina  contin<i[ent  under  General 
Lillin(;ton,  whose  term  of  enlistment  expired,  mostly 
availed  themselves  of  their  privilege  and  retired  before  the 
serious  part  of  the  sie^e  had  connnenced  :  and  less  than 
two  hundred  of  the  South  Carf)lina  militia,  probably  mostly 
from  the  Charleston  region,  shared  in  the  defence  of  the 
place.  Congress  and  the  States  were  alike  crippled  in 
resoinres.  and  everything  moved  tardilv.  General  De  Kalb 
had  started,  past  the  middle  of  April,  with  fourteen  hundred 
Continentals  from  head  (juarters  in  New  Jersey  ;  Colonel 
Arniand's  corps,  and  Major  Nelson's  horse,  were  on  the 
way  ;  and.  as  late  as  the  second  of  May,  General  Caswell, 
of  North  Carolina,  had  reached  Lanneau's  Feriy,  on  the 
Santee,  with  eight  or  nine  hundred  Continentals  and  militia  ; 
some  militia  were  being  gathered  at  Orangeburg  :  and  Col- 
onel Ikiford's  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Porterfield's  ^"'ir<]fin^a 
detachments,  were  within  the  borders  of  the  State.  Gen- 
eral Huger.  widi  Colonel  I  lorry's  cav.ilrv,  and  the  remnants 
of  Colonel  White's  and  Colonel  Washington's  dragoons, 
were  scattered  somewhere  about  the  country.  There  was 
no  concert  or  unity  of  action,  and  probably  not  sutllcient 
suppliers  to  admit  of  their  concentration.  But  all  these 
hopes  of  succor  to  the  sutlering  garrison  were  as  illusive  in 
the  end  as  the  i^^-iiis-falnus  to  the  benighted  traveler. 

General  Lincoln  was  not  altogether  destitute  of  military 
supplies  ;  for  he  had  four  hundred  pieces  of  ordnance  of 
various  caliber,  for  the  defence  of  the  citv  and  the  neighbor- 


■    ( ■ 


42 


KJNG  S  MOUNTAIN 


I'  I 

i ' 

i 


iti 
ii 


iiig  works  ;  bill  tlie  morUirs  were  few,  and  of  shell  there 
would  seein  to  have  been  a  veiy  limited  supplv.  Powder 
was  so  pk'iity  that  liiere  wen^  lifly  thousand  jKUinds  at  the 
surrender,  besides  ten  thousand  pounds  more  bricked  up  at 
the  Exchan<;e.  But  even  with  the  aid  ot"  six  hundred  ne- 
jrroes,  the  defensive  works,  from  their  j^reat  extent,  were 
tcjtally  inad(.'(jiiate  to  the  purpose  ;  and  had  there  been  tbrce 
enough  to  have  properly  manned  them — of  which  there  was 
a  sad  dellciency — the  scanty  supply  of  provisions  would 
have  been  all  the  sooner  exhausted.  Food  supplies  had 
been  stored,  in  lai\ire  quantities,  to  the  north  eastward  of 
Charleston  ;  but  from  the  little  value  of  the  depreciated  paper 
currency,  the  want  of  carriages  and  horses,  together  with 
the  bad  condition  of  the  roads,  they  could  not  be  transported 
to  town  betbre  the  investiture  was  completed.  With  all 
these  disappointments  and  discouragements,  and  the  power- 
ful army  and  navy,  with  all  the  appliances  of  war,  con- 
fronting them  for  nearly  thrive  months,  it  is  not  a  little  sur- 
prising that  General  Lincoln  and  his  brave  garrison  were 
able  to  hold  out  so  long. 

Nor  were  the  whites  the  only  sufiferers.-  As  in  Prevost's 
invasi(jn  of  1779,  so  in  Clinton's  of  1780,  the  negro  servants 
flocked  in  large  numbers  to  the  British  army,  and  were 
employed  in  throwing  up  their  defences  and  other  laborious 
ojierations.  Crowded  together,  the\-  were  visited  by  the 
camp  fever;  and  tlie  small-pox,  which  had  not  been  in  the 
Province  for  seventeen  years,  broke  out  among  them,  and 
spread  rapidly.  From  these  two  diseases,  and  the  impos- 
sibility of  their  being  provided  with  proper  accommodations 
and  attendance  in  the  British  encampments,  they  were  left 
to  die  in  great  numbers  in  the  woods,  where  they  remained 
unburied.  A  few  instances  occurred,  in  which  infants  were 
found  in  unfrequented  retreats,  drawing  the  breasts  of  their 
deceased  mothers  some  tiirn'  after  life  had  expired.* 

The  reduction  of  Charleston  struck  the  people  with  pro- 

•  Kamsay's  Revolution,  ii,  C7. 


Ill 


I  in 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


48 


found  ama/rment.  coupled  willi  somiMliin;;  akin  to  di'spair. 
The  liitilo  allcmpts  of  Uu>  nrilisli  against  llic   city   iu    1776, 
and  again  in  1779.  liad  uispircd  nearly  all  classes  with  a  latal 
confidence  that  then-  capital  city   would    again   escape   the 
snares  of  the  enemy — to  be  accomplished  in  some  Providen- 
tial way,  of  which  they  had  no  very  dear  conception.     Hut 
m  matters  of  war,  as  of  peace,  (Jod   helps   those   who   help 
themselves.      Had  the  people  of  South  Carolina  repaired  in 
large  numbers  to    their  cajiital,   with    proper  supplies  ibr  a 
lono-sieire  ;  or  had  the\  ,  while  their  fellows  were  cooped  up 
within  the  devoted  city,  embodied  imder  such  men  as  vSum- 
ter,   Williamson,    Pickens,    Kershaw,    Williams   and  other 
popular  leadi'rs.  harassed  the  besieging  army,   cut    oil"  its 
foraging  jiarlies,  kepi  the  comnnmicalion  open,  and  encour- 
aged the  beleaguered  garrison  to  make  sordes,  and  perhaps 
capture  supplies  from  their  enemies,  the  approaches  of  the 
British  might  have  been  retarded,  and  the  siege  proloivged 
till,  perhaps,  the  arri\al  of  DeKalb  ami   other   Ibrces   trom 
the  North. 

Could  the  enemy  ha\e  thus  been  retarded.  lhe\'  would 
soon  have  encountered  a  yet  more  dangerous  Ibe  in  the 
rapidly  approaching  hot  season,  when  cani]i  life  and  expos- 
ure in  lliat  malarial  climate,  would  have  rajiidK'  decimated 
their  Ibrces.  And  there  was,  perhaps,  still  another  end  to 
be  gained  by  prolonging  the«siege  On  the  second  of  May, 
a  large  French  llei^t.  under  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay,  trans- 
porting an  army  of  nearly  six  thousand  of  the  choicest  troops 
of  France,  commanded  by  the  Count  do  Rochambeau,  had 
sailed  from  Brest,  destined  to  aid  the  young  Republic  in  its 
struggle  Ibr  independence.  On  the  twentieth  of  Juni'.  they 
encountered  a  British  fleet,  in  latitude  30°.  a  little  south 
of  the  Bermuda  Islands,  when  some  distant  exchanging 
of  shots  occurred  between  them.  Several  davs  before  this 
event,  the  French  fleet  had  captured  a  British  cutter  con- 
veying several  British  officers  from  Charleston  to  tlie  Ber- 
mudas, by  whom  they  learned  of  the  siege  and  capture  of 


\ 


m 


44 


K J  NO'S  MOUNTAIN 


\ 

1, 


Charleston  ^  ^  soon  aCti-r  taking  another  vessel,  one  of 
A(hniral  Ai  .not's  licet,  on  its  return  to  New  York,  the\' 
learned  by  us  papi-rs  and  passengers  a  full  conlirnialion 
of  the  fall  of  the  devott'd  eily.* 

According  to  Moultrie,  it  was  tlic  |)lan  of  Ternay  and 
Rochaniheau  to  have  attempted  the  reliit"  <>t"  Charleston, 
had  they  not  have  learned  of  its  capture.  'i'heir  intention 
was,  to  have  iMiti-ri'd  Hall's  Hay,  huuU-d  the  troops  at  Sevi-e's 
IiaN',  then  niarchi'd  down  to  lladdri'll's  I'oinl,  crossing 
thence  o\rr  to  Charleston  :  "  whieh,"  says -Moultrie,  "they 
could  very  easily  havt'  dmie,  and  would  iiiixe  ellectuallv 
raised  the  siege,  and  taken  the  Hrilish  lleet  in  Charleston 
harl)or  and  in  Stono  Inlet,  and.  in  ;ill  probahilitv,  tlu-ir 
whok'   army  I  lad    tlie   news   of  tiiis   aiiproaching    lleet 

been  knowi  'me  bv  General  Lincoln,  and  the  people  of 

the  surrounan.y,  country,  the  defence  of  the  city  might  have 
been  proU)nged.  and.  perhaps,  tlie  niorlification  of  surren- 
der averted— and  the  salvation  of  Charleston  been  celebrated 
in  history  as  one  of  the  grandest  achievements  of  the  Revo- 
lution.-f 

Hut  all  this  misadventure  was  not  without  its  compensa- 
tions;  for  Rochambeau's  fine  arm\  landed  safely  at  New- 
port, and.  in  lime,  joiutnl  Washington,  giving  new  life  anil 
hope  to  the  American  cause,  and  sharing  in  llie  capture  of 
Cornwallis  the  following  year.  It  was  a  knowledge  ol'  the 
fitting  out  of  Ternay's  Heel,  ami  its  probable  American  des- 
tination, that  prompted  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  hasten  the 
capture  of  Charleston.'  and  then  to  exjx'dite  the  larger  part 
of  his  forces  to  the  northward,  lest  New  York  should  be 
attacked  and  taken  bv  the  combined  French  and  American 


*  Rocli.imboau's  Memoirs,  Paris,  1824,  i.  241-343;   Almon's  Retiifiiilramer.  x,   273 

t  Moultrie's  Memoirs,  ii,  202-203;  Jolinson's   Traditions   2C2. 

t  The  liritlsh  ('lovernmeiit  liad  kept  a  close  watch  on  this  larye  French  fleet  cliirinR  the 
long  period  of  its  tltliiit;  o\u  at  ISrcst;  and,  no  doubt  apprised  Sir  Henry  Clinton  of  the 
approaLhiiiR  d:in^'er.  The  Virginia  Cazette  of  May  31st.  1780  has  a  Philadelphia  item 
under  d.\te  of  May  9th.  saying  a  (jcntlcman  from  New  VorU  stated,  that  it  was  reported  in 
that  city  that  a  French  and  Spanish  fleet  was  expected  upon  tlie  American  coast,  and  that 
the  enterprise  against  Charleston  was  tu  be  abandoned. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


46 


troops  and  navy ;  and  tlnis  woiv  the  Southern  Colonies  left 
with  Cornwallis'  crippled  arniv,  renderin<r  po.ssihie  tiie  noble 
services  of  Greene,  Sumter,  and  Marion. 

Takinjf  advaiUa^e  of  the  cahn,  IJritish  detachments 
were  sent  out  in  all  din-ctions  to  plant  the  Royal  stauilard, 
over-awe  the  [H'ople,  and  reipiire  them  to  taki>  pioti-ction. 
Conspicuousiv  observable  was  the  ;^n-eediness  ot"  the  con- 
(|iKM-ors  for  plunder.  The  value  of  the  spoil,  which  was 
(lislributed  b\  ICnylish  and  Hessian  Comniissaries  of  cap- 
tures, amounted  to  about  three  hundred  thousand  pounds 
sterling;  the  dividend  of  a  Major-CieiU'ral  excei'ded  over 
four  thousand  ^^uineas — or  tw  enty  ihousauil  dollars.  There 
was  no  restraint  upon  private  rapine;  the  silver  plate  of  the 
planters  was  carrii'd  olT:  all  ne<rroes  liiat  had  belonged  to 
Rebels  were  seized,  even  though  they  had  themselves  sought 
an  asvlum  within  the  British  lines  ;  and,  at  a  single  embark- 
ation, two  thousand  were  shipped  to  a  market  in  the  West 
Indies.  British  and  Gennan  officers  thought  more  of 
amassing  fortunes  than  of  re-uniting  the  empire.  The  pa- 
triots were  not  allowtnl  to  appoint  attorneys  to  manage  or 
sell  their  estates.  A  sentence  of  confiscation  hung  oxer  the 
whole  land,  and  British  protection  was  granted  only  in 
return  for  the  unconditional  promise  of  loyalty.* 

The  dashing  Colonel  Tarleton  had  been  dispatched  w  ith 
his  cavalry  in  pursuit  of  Colonel  l^uford's  regiment,  which 
had  arrived  too  late  to  join  the  Charleston  gf.rrison  ;  and 
\vhich  were  overtaken  near  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  and 
many  of  them  cut  to  pieces  with  savage  cruelty.  One  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  of  liuford's  men  were  cut  dow  n  and  killed 
outright  ;  a  hundred  and  fifU'  too  badlv  hacked  to  be  re- 
moved, w^hile  only  fifty-three  could  be  brought  as  prisoners 
to  Camden.  If  anything  at  this  time  could  have  added  to 
the  general  depression  so  prevalent  amcmg  all  classes  of 
people,  it   was  just  such  a  barbarous  butchery  as  this  of 


*K;inis)y's  Kiin'liition.W.  b^i-by;  (JurJuii  s  .liin-n\,tH  // .(r,  iii,  38^  ;   lluncrofl's  History 
Uitiletl  Stittcs,  X,  305-6. 


46 


AV.VG'S  MOUNTAIN 


Tarleton's.     Tlu'    hiirlicsl    cnconii 


luiis    were 


besU 


)\\0{l 


by 
Cornwallis  upon  tiu'  hero  ot  this  sickening'  massacre. 

On  llie  twenU -second  day  of  May,  it  was  proclaimed  that 
all  who  should  thereafter  oppose  the  Kinuj  in  arms,  or  hinder 
any  one  iVun  joinini;'  his  lorces,  should  have  his  property  con- 
fiscated, and  be  otherwise  severel}'  punished  ;  and,  on  the  lirst 
of  June,  Clinton  and  Arbnthnot,  as  Royal  Commissioners, 
oOered  by  proclamation,  pardon  to  the  penitent,  on  condition 
of  their  immediate  return  to  allegiance  ;  and  to  the  loyal,  the 
pledge  of  their  former  political  immunities,  including  free- 
dom from  taxation,  save  by  their  own  ciiosen  Legislature. 
On  the  third  of  that  month,  another  proclamation  by  Clinton, 
required  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  Pro\ince,  "  who  \'.;'-e  now 
prisoners  on  parole"  to  take  an  active  part  in  niaintain- 
inir  the  Royal  Government:  and  they  were  assured,  that 
"•should  they  neglect  to  return  to  their  allegiance,  they  will 
be  treated  as  rebels  to  the  Goveniment  of  the  King." 

Thus  tyrannical  measures  were  advanced  step  b\'  step 
till  the  poor  paroled  peojik'  could  no  longer  be  protected,  as 
they  had  been  promised,  by  remaining  quietly  at  home  :  but 
must  take  up  arms  in  defence  of  the  Government  they  ab- 
horred, and  which  was  forging  chains  for  their  perpetual 
enslavement.  On  the  eve  of  his  di'partiu-e  for  New  York, 
leaving  the  Southern  command  under  Lord  Cornwallis, 
Clinton  reported  to  his  Royal  masters  in  England:  "The 
inhabitants  from  every  tjuarter  declare  their  allegiance  to 
the  King,  and  ofler  their  ser\ices  in  arms.  There  are  few 
men  in  South  du-olina  who  are  not  either  our  prisoners  or 
in  arms  with  ns." 

A  few  weeks  later,  when  two  prominent  men,  one  who 
had  filled  a  high  position,  and  both  prominently  concerned 
in  the  rebellion,  went  to  Cornwallis  to  surr«;:u'.er  themselves 
under  the  provisions  of  Clinton  and  Arbuthnot's  procla- 
mation, the  noble  Earl  could  only  answer  that  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  its  exlsttMCc.  And  thus  his  Lordship  com- 
menced  his  career  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the   South- 


\\  W 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


47 


em  department,  ignoring  all  ideas  and  promises  of  a  policy 
of  moderation.  lie  sowed  tlie  wind,  and  in  the  end  reaped 
the  whirlwind. 

The  people  of  Souch  Carolina,  as  we  have  seen,  were 
not  sutlicienLly  arous'-d  to  a  sense  of  their  danger,  until    it 
was  too  late  to  avert  it — if,  indeed,  they,  alone  and  single- 
handed,  could  by  any  possibility  have  warded  oft' the  great 
public  calamity.     When  they  learned  the  appallin<>"  news 
of  the  siuTender  of  Charleston,  they  had  little  heart  t  -make 
any  further  show  of  opposirion  to  the  power  of  the  British 
Government.     Many  of  the  country  leaders,  when  detach- 
ments of  the  conquering  troops  were  sent  among  them,  un- 
resistingly gave  up  their  arms,  and  took  Royal  protection 
— among  whom  were  General  Andrew  Williamson.  Gen- 
eral Isaac  linger.  Colonel  Andrew  Pickens,  Colonel  Peter 
Horry,  Colonel  James  Mayson,  Colonel  LeRoy  Hammond, 
Colonel  John  Tliomas.   Sr.,  Colonel  Isaac   Ilaync,   Major 
John  Postell,  Major  John  Purvis,  and  nian\'  others.     Sumter 
braved  the  popular  tide  for  submission,  retired  alone  before 
the  advancing  foe,  leaving  his    home  to  the  torch  of  die 
enemy,  and   his   helpless    family  widiout  a  roof  to  cover 
their  defenceless  heads,  or  a  morsel  o(V<wd  for  their  susten- 
ance ;  while  Marion,  who  was  accidenj^ly  injured  at  Charles- 
ton, was  conveyed  from  the  city  before  its  linal  environment, 
and  was  quietly  recuperating  in  scjme  sequestered  place  in 
the  swamps  of  the  lower  part  of  the  country.     And,  so  far 
as  South  Carolina  wa^^  concerned, 

'•  Hope  for  a  sea.ioii  I'ailc  llie  vvuilil  fajcwcU.'' 


11 


i 


48 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


CHAPTER    III 


111 


1741  to  May,  1780. 


Early  fjfr  of  Paffick  Ju'ri^iisou. — Jiraiulyiviiu-  JhUtlc — Refrains  from 
Shootiiii^  1 1  'ashiii^^^/oit —  Woiiiu/t-ii. —  C  \>iidiii/s  Little  E^y  Harl>or  Ex- 
pedition .—Nearly  Killed  by  an  .Iccidental  .Ittack  by  his  own  Friends. 
— I^^.?^^"^  l^ridge  and  Monk's  Corner  Affair. — Resents  Insults  to 
Eidies. — Siege  of  Cliarleston. 

No  man.  perhaps,  of  his  rank  and  years,  ever  attained 
more  niihtary  distinction  in  his  day  than  Patrick  Fergnson. 
As  liis  name  will  hereafter  tignre  so  prominently  in  this 
narrative,  it  is  bnt  simple  justice  to  his  miniory,  and  alike 
due  to  the  natural  curiosity  of  the  reader,  that  his  career 
should  be  as  fully  and  imparlially  portrayed  as  the  materials 
will  permit. 

lie  was  the  second  son  of  James  Ferguson,  afterward 
Lord  Pitfour,  of  Pitfour.  an  eminent  adxocate,  and  for 
iwelve  years  one  of  the  Scotch  Judges,  and  was  born  in 
Aberdeenshire,  ScoUand,  in  1744.  His  mother  was  Anne 
Murrav.  daughter  of  Alexander,  Lord  Elibank.  His  father, 
and  his  uncle,  James  Murray,  Lord  Elibank.  wt>re  regarded 
as  men  of  large  culture,  equal,  in  erudition  and  genius,  to 
the  authors  of  the  Scottish  Augustan  age.  Having  acquired 
an  early  education,  "young  Ferguson,"'  says  a  British 
writer,  "•sought  fame  by  a  dinerer*^  direction,  httt  icas  of 
cqnallv  vigoyous  and  hrilliant  foiucrs."'  When  only  in  his 
fifteenth  vear,  a  commission  was  purchased  for  him,  and  he 
entered  the  army  July  twelfth.  1759,  as  a  Cornet,  in  die  second 
or  Roval  Xortli  British  Dragoons,  serving  in  the  wars  of 
Flanders  and  Germany,  wherein  he  distinguished  himself 
bv  :i   courage  as   cool    as   it   was  determined.     He  soon 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


49 


evinced  tlu'  j^reat  purpose  of  liis  life — lo  brcome  conspic- 
uously beneficial  by  professional  skill  and  etlbrt. 

Young  Ferguson  joined  the  army  in  Germany  soon 
after  the  engagement  on  the  plains  of  Minden.  Some  skir- 
mishing took  place  in  the  subsequent  part  of  that  year.  On 
the  tliirtieth  of  June,  1760,  the  Dragoons,  to  which  he  was 
attached,  with  other  corps,  drove  the  French  cavalry  from 
the  iield,  and  chased  their  infantry  in  disorder  througli 
Warbourg,  and  across  the  Rymel  river,  gaining  from  the 
Commander-in-Chief  the  compliment  of  having  performed 
"  prodigies  of  valor."  On  the  twenty-second  of  August,  die 
Dragoons  defeated  a  French  party  near  Zierenberg.  making 
a  brilliant  charge,  and  deciding  the  contest.  In  the  follow- 
ing month  they  captured  Zit^renberg,  with  two  cannon  and 
three  hundred  prisoners.  During  the  }ear  1761,  the 
Dragoons  were  similarly  emploved ;  but  sutfered  much 
from  the  bad  quality  of  the  water.  Ferguson  becoming  dis- 
abled by  sickness,  was  sent  home,  and  remained  the  most 
of  the  time  in  England  and  Scotland  from  1762  until  1768. 

On  the  first  of  September,  in  the  latter  vear,  a  commis- 
sion of  Captain  was  purchased  for  him  in  the  sevendeth 
regiment  of  foot,  then  stationed  in  the  Caribbee  Islands,  in 
the  West  Indies,  whither  he  repaired,  and  performed  im- 
portant service  in  cjuelling  an  insurrection  of  the  Caribs  on 
the  Island  of  St.  ^'incent.  These  Caribs  were  a  mixture  of 
the  African  with  the  native  Indian  tribes :  thev  were  brave, 
expert  in  the  use  of  tire-arms,  and  their  native  fastnesses 
had  greatly  aided  them  in  their  resistance  to  the  Govern- 
ment.    The  troops  suftered  much  in  this  service. 

The  regiment  remained  in  the  Caribbee  Islands  till  1773. 
About  this  periotl.  Captain  Ferguson  was  stationed  a  while 
in  the  peaceful  garrison  of  Halifax,  in  Xova  Scotia  :  and 
disdaining  inglorious  ease,  he  embarked  for  England,  w  here 
he  assiduouslv  employed  his  time  in  acquiring  military 
knowledge  and  science.  When  the  disputes  between  the 
Mother   countrv  and  her   Coloni';s    were   verging   toward 


i' 


M 


il:! 


50 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


hostilities,  the  boasted  skill  of  the  Americans  in  the  use  of 
the  rifle,  was  regarded  as  an  object  of  terror  to  the  British 
troops.  These  rumors  operated  on  the  genius  of  Ferguson, 
and  he  invented  a  new  species  of  rifle,  which  could  be 
loaded  with  greater  celerity,  and  fu'ed  with  more  precision 
than  any  then  in  use.  He  could  load  his  newly  constructed 
gun  at  the  breech,  without  using  the  ramrod,  and  with  such 
quickness  and  repetition  as  to  Are  seven  times  in  a  minute, 
lie  was  regarded  as  the  best  rifle  shot  in  the  British 
army,  if  not  the  best  marksman  li\ing — excepting,  possi- 
bly, his  old  associate,  George  Hanger;*'  and  in  adroitness 
and  celerity  in  loading  and  liring,   whether  prostrate  or 


*Tlns  possible  exccplion  should  be  somewhat  qualified.  The  British  writers,  including 
several  who  knew  whereof  they  wrote,  unite  in  ascribing  this  high  character  to  Fergnson's 
skill  in  the  use  of  his  improved  rifle.  Major  Hanger,  in  his  Li/('  and  Opinions,  written 
after  Ferguson  had  been  twenty  years  in  his  grave,  claims  not  simply  equal,  hut  superior 
skill.  The  redoubtable  .Major  relates,  with  no  little  naivete,  this  ludicrous  anecdote,  as 
occurring  in  New  Yi.rk  City,  in  178^,  when  Sir  Guy  Carleton  had  become  Commander  in- 
Chief  of  the  Urilish  forces.  Sitting  opposite  the  Major  at  dinner  one  day.  Sir  Guy  said  : 
"  Major  Uanger,  I  have  been  told  that  you  are  a  most  skilful  marksman  with  a  rifle-gun — I 
have  heard  of  astonishing  feats  that  you  have  performed  in  shooting."  Tlianking  him  for 
the  compliment,  I  told  his  li.xcellency.  that  "I  was  vain  enough  to  say,  with  truth,  that 
many  officers  in  the  army  had  witnessed  my  adroitness.  I  then  began  to  inform  Sir  Guy 
how  my  old  deceased  friend.  Colonel  Ferguson,  and  myself,  had  practiced  together,  who,  for 
skill  and  knowledge  of  that  weapon,  had  been  so  celebrated,  and  that  Ferguson  had  ever 
acknowledged  the  superiority  of  my  skill  to  his.  after  one  particular  day's  practice,  wlien 
I  had  shot  three  halls  into  one  hole."  Sir  Guy  replied  to  this  :  "  I  know  you  are  very 
e.xpert  in  this  art."  Now.  had  I  been  quiet,  and  satisfied  with  the  compliment  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief paid  me.  and  not  pushed  the  matter  further  it  had  been  well  for  me;  but  I 
replied:  "Yes,  Sir  Guy.  I  really  have  reduced  the  art  of  shooting  with  a  rifle  to  such  a 
nicety,  that,  at  a  moderate  distance,  I  c.in  kill  a  flea  with  a  single  ball."  At  this.  Sir  Guy 
began  to  stare  not  a  little,  and  seemed  to  indicate  from  the  smile  on  his  countenance,  that  he 
thought  I  had  rather  out-stepped  my  usual  oiitdoings  in  the  art.  Observing  this,  I  respect- 
fully replied:  "I  see  by  your  Excellency's  countenance  that  you  seem  doublful  of  the 
singularity  and  perfection  of  my  art ;  hut  if  1  may  presume  so  much,  as  to  dare  offer  a  wager 
to  my  Commaiiderin  Chief,  I  will  bet  your  Excellency  five  truineas  that  I  kill  a  flea  with  a 
single  ball  once  in  eisht  shots,  at  eight  yards."  Sir  Guy  replieil  :  "  My  dear  Major.  I  am 
not  given  to  lav  wafers,  but  for  once  1  will  bet  vou  five  guineas.  prr>vided  you  will  let  the 
flea  hof>."  A  loud  laugh  ensued  at  the  table;  and.  after  laughing  heartily  myself.  1  placed 
my  knuckle  under  the  table,  and  striking  it  from  beneath,  said  :  "Sir  f>uy,  I  knock  under, 
and  will  never  speak  fif  my  skill  in  shnotin.g  with  a  rifle-gun  ag.iin  before  you," 

Neither  Ferguson  nor  Hanger  were  aware  of  a  remarkable  youth  at  that  time  in  the 
Wheeling  region.  Lewis  Wetzel,  who  had  learned  to  load  but  a  cinimon  rifle  as  he  sped 
swiftly  through  the  woods  with  a  pack  of  Indians  at  his  heels.  Killing  one  of  a  party,  four 
others  singled  out.  determined  to  catch  alive  the  bold  young  warrior  First,  one  fell  a  vic- 
tim to  his  unerring  rifle,  then  another,  and  finally  a  third,  in  the  race  for  life;  when  the 
only  survivor  stopped  short,  gave  a  yell  of  despair  and  disappointment,  saying:  ''No 
catch  dat  man— gun  always  loaded." 


AND  ITS  Hl'JWES. 


61 


erect,  he  is  said  to  have  excelled  the  best  American  fron- 
tiersman, or  even  the  expert  Indian  of  the  tbre^t.  He  often 
practiced,  and  exhibited  his  dexterity  in  the  use  of  the  rifle, 
both  at  Black  lli-ath  and  Woolwich.  Such  was  his  exe- 
cution in  lirinL,f,  that  it  almost  exceeded  the  bounds  of 
credibilitN .  ha\ino-  very  nearly-  brought  his  aim  at  an  ob- 
jective  point  almost  to  a   mathematical   certainty. 

On  the  lirst  of  June.  1776,  Captain  Ferguson  made  some 
riile  experiments  at  Woolwich,  in  the  presence  of  Lord 
Townshend,  master  of  ordnance.  Generals  Amherst  and 
lia\vle\-.  and  otlu-r  otlicers  of  high  rank  and  large  militarx' 
experience.  Notwithstanding  a  heavy  rain,  and  a  high  wind, 
lie  lired  during  the  space  of  four  or  live  minutes,  at  the  rate  of 
four  shots  ]ier  minute,  at  a  target  two  hundred  yards  distance. 
1  le  next  lired  six  shots  in  a  minute.  lie  also  lired,  while 
advancing  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  per  hour,  four  times  in  a 
iiiinule.  lie  then  poured  a  bottle  of  water  into  the  pan  and 
barrel  of  the  rille  when  loaded,  so  as  to  wet  every  grain  of 
powder;  and,  in  less  than  half  a  minute,  he  fired  it  olT,  as 
well  as  ever,  without  extracting  the  ball.  Lastlv.  he  hit  the 
l)uirs  eye  target,  lying'on  his  back  on  the  ground.  Incredi- 
ble as  it  might  seem,  considering  the  variations  of  the  wind, 
and  the  wetness  of  the  weather,  he  missed  the  target  only 
three  times  during  the  wliole  scries  of  experiments.  These 
military  dignitaries  were  not  only  satisfied  but  astonished 
at  the  perfection  of  both  his  rifle  and  his  practice.  On  one 
of  these  occasions.  George  the  Third  honored  him  with  his 
presence:  and.  towards  the  chjse  of  the  year,  a  patent  was 
grank'd  tor  all  his  improvements. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  eye-witnesses,  he  would 
check  his  horse,  let  tlie  reins  fall  upon  the  animal's  neck, 
draw  a  pistol  from  his  holster,  toss  it  aloft,  catch  it  as  it  fell, 
aim.  and  shoot  the  head  oil'  a  bird  on  an  adjacent  fence.* 
"It  is  not  certain,"  says  the   British    Aiiiuml  Ixcuktcr  for 


1 


■.y\ 


m 


*  General  J.  \V.  D.  DePcystcr's  King's  Mountain,  in  Historical  Magazine  March  i86g, 
p.  lew, 


52 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 


1 781,  "  tliat  thevSe  improvements  produced  all  the  eftect  in 
real  service,  which  had  been  expected  from  those  astonishing 
specimens  of  tliem  tiuit  were  displayed  in  England.*' 

Anxious  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  American  war,  a 
hundred  select  men  were  chosen  for  his  command,  whom 
he  took  unwearied  pains  to  instruct  in  tlie  dextrous  use  of 
his  newly  invented  rifle.  In  the  spring  of  1777,  he  was 
sent  to  America — to  him,  a  much  coveted  service.  Joining 
the  main  army  under  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  he  was  placed  at 
the  head  of  a  corps  of  riflemen,  picked  iVom  the  diflerent 
regiments,  and  soon  after  participated,  under  Sir  William 
Howe,  in  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  on  the  eleventh  of 
September.  ■'  General  Knyphausen,"  says  a  British  writer, 
"  with  another  division,  marched  to  Chad's  Ford,  against 
the  Provincials  who  were  placed  there.  In  this  service  the 
German  General  experienced  ver}-  important  assistance  from 
a  corps  of  riflemen  commanded  by  Captain  Patrick  Fer- 
guson- whose  meritorious  conduct  was  acknowledged  by 
the  whole  British  army.'' 

In  a  private  letter  from  Captain  Ferguson,  to  his  kins- 
man. Dr.  Adam  Ferguson,  he  details  a  ver}'  curious  incident, 
which  occurred  while  he  lay,  with  his  riflemen,  in  the  skirt 
of  a  wood,  in  front  of  Kn\'phausen's  division.  ''  We  had 
not  lain  long,"  says  Captain  Ferguson,  "  when  a  Rebel  of- 
ficer, remarkable  by  a  hussar  dress,  passed  towards  our 
army,  within  a  hundred  yards  of  my  right  flank,  not  per- 
ceiving us.  He  was  followed  by  another,  dressed  in  dark 
green  andMue.  mounted  on  a  bay  horse,  with  a  remarkably 
high  cocked  hat.  I  ordered  three  good  sliots  to  steal  near 
to  and  fire  at  them  ;  but  the  idea  disgusting  me,  I  recalled 
the  order.  The  hussar,  in  returning,  made  a  circuit,  but 
the  other  passed  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us,  upon  which 
I  advanced  from  the  wood  towards  him.  Upon  my  calling, 
he  stopped;  but  after  looking  at  me,  he  proceeded.  I  again 
drew  his  attention,  and  made  signs  to  him  to  stop,  levelling 
my  piece  at  him  ;  but  he  slowly  cantered  awa}-.     As  I  was 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


63 


within  that  distance,  at  which,  in  the  quickest  tirin<^f,  I 
could  have  iud<red  halt"  a  dozen  balls  in  or  about  him,  betbre 
he  was  out  of  m^-  reach,  I  had  only  to  deterinine  ;  but  it 
was  not  pleasant  to  tire  at  the  back  of  an  unortending  in- 
dividuid,  who  was  acquitting  himself  very  coolly  of  his 
duty — so  I  let  him  alone.  The  day  after,  I  had  been  telling 
this  story  to  some  wounded  officers  who  hu'  in  the  same 
room  with  me,  when  one  of  the  surgeons,  who  had  been 
dressing  the  wounded  Rebel  officers,  came  in,  and  told  us, 
that  they  had  been  informing  him  that  General  Washington 
was  all  the  morning  with  the  light  troops,  and  only  attended 
by  a  French  officer  in  hussar  dress,  he  himself  dressed  and 
mounted  in  every  point  as  above  described.  [  am  not  sorry 
that  I  did  not  knozv  at  the  time  zvho  it  zva$y* 

A  British  writer  suggestively  remarks,  in  this  connection, 
that,  "  unfortunately  Ferguson  did  not  personally  know 
Washington,  otherwise  the  Rebels  would  have  had  a  new 
General  to  seek."  Had  Washington  fallen,  it  is  difficult  to 
calculate  its  probable  etfect  upon  the  result  of  the  struggle  of 
the  American  people.  I  low  slight,  oftentimes,  are  the  inci- 
dents which,  in  the  course  of  events,  seem  to  give  direction  to 
the  most  momentous  concerns  of  the  human  race.  This  sin- 
gular impulse  of  Ferguson,  illustrates,  in  a  forcible  manner, 
the  over-ruling  hand  of  Providence  in  directing  the  operation 
of  a  man's  mind  when  he  himself  is  least  of  all  aware  of  it. 

There  is,  however,  some  doubt  whether  it  was  really 
Washington  whom  Ferguson  was  loo  generous  to  profit  by 
his  advantage.  James  Fenimore  Cooper  relates,  in  the 
New  York  Mirror.,  of  April  sixteentli,  183 1 ,  on  the  authority 
of  his  late  father-in-law.  Major  John  P.  DeLancey,  some 
interesting  facts,  corroborating  the  main  features  of  the 
storv.  DeLancev  was  the  second  in  command  of  Feriju- 
son's  rirtemen,  and  had  seen  Washington  in  Philadelphia 

*  Percy  Anecdotes,  Harper's  edition,  !i,  52;  ISritish  Annual  Keffisier,  17S1,  51  ;  Political 
Mn^azine.  1781.  60;  /list,  of  War  in  America,  iii.  149;  Andrews'  Hist  0/ the  War.  iv.  84  ; 
James"  Life  of  Marion.  76-77  ;  Irvine's  Washington,  iv.  51-52  ;  Days  Pennsyhiania  Hist, 
Colls.,  213;  National  Intelligencer,  May,  1851. 


;i' 


i-^W 


;! 


%- 


^% 


54 


KJNG'S  A/OUNTAIN 


^ 


the  year  before  the  comnieiu'einent  of  the  war.  "  Duriiij^ 
tlie  luaiKi'iivres  which  pri'ceck'cl  ihi'  battle  of  IhaiulN  u  inr." 
said  Mr.  Cooper,  "  tlie.sc  riileineii  were  ke|U  skirmishing 
in  advance  of  one  of  tlie  British  coknnns.  'J'hi'\  had  crossed 
some  open  ground,  in  \\  hich  Ferguson  was  woimded  in  the 
arm,  and  had  taken  a  position  in  liie  skirls  ol' a  thick  wood. 
While  Cajitain  UeJ^ancey  was  occupied  in  arranging  a  shng 
f(jr  Fergiison's  wounded  arm.  it  was  reported  that  an  Ameri- 
can othcer  of  rank,  attended  onh-  by  a  mounted  orderly, 
had  ridden  into  the  open  groimd,  and  was  dien  within  point- 
blank  riile  shot.  Two  or  three  of  the  best  marksmen 
stepped  forward,  and  asked  leave  to  bring  him  down.  Fer- 
guson peremptorily  refused  ;  but  he  went  to  the  wood,  and 
showing  himself,  menaced  the  Amt-rican  with  several  rifles, 
while  he  called  to  him,  and  made  signs  to  him  to  come  in. 
^rhe  mounted  olFicer  saw  his  enemies,  drew  his  reins,  and 
sat  lookintr  at  them  attentively  for  a  few  moments. 

"A  sergeant/'  ccnitinues  Mr.  Cooper,  "now  olTered  to 
hit  the  horse  without  injuring  the  rider,  but  Ferguson  still 
withlield  his  consent,  alllrming  that  it  was  Washington  re- 
connoitermg,  and  that  he  would  not  be  the  instrument  of 
placing  the  lil'e  of  so  great  a  man  in  jeopardy  by  so  unfair 
means.  The  horseman  tiu'ned  and  rode  slowly  awa^'.  To 
his  last  moment,  Ferguson  maintained  that  the  ollicer  whose 
life  he  had  spared  was  W^ashington.  I  have  often  iieard 
Captain  DeLancvw  relate  these  circumstances,  and  though 
he  never  pretended  to  be  sure  of  the  person  of  the  unknown 
horseman,  it  was  his  opinion,  iVom  some  particulars  of  dress 
and  stature,  that  it  was  thu  Count  Pulaski.  Though  in 
error  as  (o  the  person  ol'  the  individual  whom  he  sparixl, 
the  merit  of  Major  Ferguson  is  not  at  all  diminished  "'  by 
its  supposed  correction. 

Captain  Ferguson,  as  we  have  seen,  encoimtered  some 
American  sharp-shooters  in  the  battle  as  keen  and  skilllul 
as  himself  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  and  received  a  dangerous 
wound  which  so  shattered  his  right  arm,  as  to  forever  after 


AND  ITS  IFEROES. 


55 


render  it  useless.*  During  the  period  of  his  unfitness  for 
service,  General  Howe  distrihuled  his  rillemen  among  other 
corps;  hut  on  his  recovery,  he  again  embodied  them,  and 
renewed  his  former  active  career.  When  satistied  that  he 
would  nevt'r  regain  the  use  of  his  right  hand,  he  practiced, 
and  soon  ac(|uired  the  use  of  his  sword,  with  the  left.  A 
writer  in  tlie  Pol  it  ir  a!  Maouniiie  for  1781,  states  that  Fer- 
guson was  in  the  battle  of  Germantown,  on  the  fourth  of 
October  ensuing — was  tliere  wounded,  and  there  canie  near 
bringing  his  rille  to  bear  on  Washington  ;  but  it  is  not  prob- 
abh'  that  he  was  sulliciently  recovered  of  his  SL'Vt're  wound 
received  at  I>randywine,  to  have  taken  the  lield  three  weeks 
afterwards — j-jesides,  the  autliorities  show,  tliat  it  was  at 
Brandy  wine  whert."  \\v  so  narrowly  escaped  the  temptation 
to  try  the  acciu'acy  of  his  rille  on  the  American  Commander- 
in-Chief,  or  some  other  prominent  ollicer,  making  observa- 
tions, and  where  he  was  so  griex'ously  wounded. 

When  the  British  evacuated  Philadelphia,  in  June,  1778, 
Captain  Ferguson  acccjmpanied  the  retiring  forces  to  New 
York,  and,  of  course,  participated  in  the  battle  of  Mon- 
mouth on  the  way.  It  was  fought  on  one  of  the  hottest  days 
of  the  summer,  when  many  of  the  British  soldiers  died  from 
the  etlects  of  the  heat.  For  some  time  at'ter  reaching  New 
York,  Captain  Ferguson  and  his  rille  corps  were  not  called 
on  to  engage  in  an}-  active  service. 

Little  Fgg  Harbor,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  New  Jersey, 
had  long  been  noted  as  a  place  of  rendezvous  for  American 
privateers,  which  preyed  largely  upon  British  commerce. 
A  vast  amount  of  property  had  been  brought  into  this  port, 
captured  iVom  the  enemy.  "  To  destroy  this  nest  of  rebel 
pirates,"  as  a  British  writer  termed  it,  an  expedition  was 
litted  out  from  New  York,  the  close  of  September,  1778, 
composed  of  three  hiuulred  regulars,  and  a  body  of  one 
hundred  Royalist  volunteers,  all  under  the  command  of  Cap- 

*  Beatson's  Navtil  anti  Mili'/ary  Afemot'rs,   vi,   83;    Mackenzie's    Slruiures  on    Tarle- 
ton.  23, 


III 


6G 


KING '  S  MO  UNTA  IN 


tain  Fcrj^usnn.  Captain  Ili-nry  Colins,  of  the  Navy,  trans- 
porli'd  tlu'  troops  in  ritrht  or  ten  armed  vessels,  and  shared 
in  the  enterprise.  From  initoward  weather,  they  were  lonjL^ 
at  sea.  General  Washington,  hearinjLj  of  the  expetlition, 
dispatched  Count  Pulaski  and  his  Le<,non  cavalry,  and  at 
tlu'  same  time  sent  an  express  to  Tuckerton,  as  did  also 
Governor  LiviniLfston,  givini^r  information,  so  that  four  pri\a- 
teers  put  to  sea  and  escapi'd.  while  others  took  refuLje  \\\t 
\\\v  Little  I'v^g  Harbor  river.  Fer<ruson's  party  reached  tlu' 
Harbor  on  the  afternoon  of  the  lifth  of  October,  and, 
taking  his  smaller  craft,  pushed  twenty  miles  up  the  stream 
to  Chestnut  Neck,  where  wt're  st'veral  \essels,  about  a  dozen 
houses,  with  stores  for  the  reception  of  the  prize  j^oods, 
and  accommodations  lor  the  privateers  men.  Here  were 
some  works  erectt'tl  for  the  protection  of  the  place,  and  a 
few  men  occupying  them  ;  but  no  artillery  had  3'et  been 
placed  there  The  prize  vessels  were  hastily  scuttled  and 
dismantled,  and  the  small  American  party  easily  driven  into 
the  woods,  when  Captain  Ferguson's  force  demolished  the 
batteries,  burning  ten  vessels  and  the  houses  in  the  village. 
Tlu>  ])ritish  in  this  alVair  had  none  killed,  and  but  a  single 
soldier  wounded.  Had  he  arrived  sooner,  Ferguson  in- 
tended to  have  pushed  forward  with  celerity  twenty  miles 
fardier,  to  "The  Forks,"  which  was  accounted  only  thirty- 
live  miles  from  Philadelphia.  IJut  the  alarm  had  been 
spread  through  the  country,  and  the  local  militia  had  been 
reinforced  bv  Pulaski's  cavalry,  and  live  Held  pieces  of 
Colonel  Proctor's  artillerv  :  so  die  idea  of  reachino-  and 
destro\inu  the  stores  and  small  craft  there,  had  to  be  aban- 
doned. 

Returning  the  next  day,  October  the  seventh,  down  the 
river,  they  reached  two  of  dieir  armed  sloops,  which  had  got 
aground  on  their  upward  passage,  and  were  still  fast. 
Thev  were  lightened,  and  got  oil'  the  next  mornin<f.  Dur- 
ing  the  delay.  Captain  Fergu.son  employed  his  troops, 
under  cover  of  the  gunboats,  in  an  excursion  on  the  north 


AND  ITS  JIEROJ'S. 


67 


shore,  to  destroy  soino  principal  salt  works,  also  some 
stores,  (l\velliii<fs,  and  Tucker's  Mill  ;  these  were  sacked 
and  laid  in  ashes — all,  as  was  asserted  by  the  British,  being 
the  property  of  persons  concerned  in  privateering,  or 
"whose  activity  in  the  cause  of  America,  and  unrelenting 
persecution  of  the  Loyalists,  marked  them  out  as  the 
objects  (jf  vengeance."  As  those  persons  wen-  pointed  out 
b\'  the  New  lersev  Torv  volunteers,  who  accompanied  the 
expedition,  we  may  well  imagine  that  private  pique,  and 
neighborhood  feuds,  entered  largely  into  these  proscriptions. 

To  cover  Ferguson's  expedition,  and  distract  the  attention 
of  Washington,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  detached  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  with  live  thousand  men  into  New  Jersey,  and  General 
Knyphausen  with  three  thousand  into  Wes^  .ic-ier  county. 
Learning  of  Colonel  Baylor's  dragoons  bei.ig  at  old  Tappan. 
Cornwallis  selected  General  Grey  to  siu'prise  them  which  he 
etlected  much  in  the  same  manner  as  Ferguson  subsequently 
siiuck  Pulaski's  infantry,  unawares  —  eleven  having  l^een 
killed  outright,  twenty-tivi'  mangled  with  repeati'd  thrusts, 
some  receiving  ten,  twelve,  and  even  sixteen  wounds.  It 
was  a  merciless  treatment  of  men  who  sued  for  quarter. 
Among  the  wounded  were  Colonel  Baylor  and  Major  Clough 
— the  latter,  mortally  ;  and  about  forty  prisoners  taken, 
mostly  through  die  humane  interposition  of  one  of  Grey's 
Captains,  wliose  feelings  revolted  at  the  orders  of  his  san- 
guinary connnander — the  same  commander  who  had,  the 
year  before,  performed  a  similarly  bloody  enterprise  against 
Wayne,  at  Paoli. 

Recalling  these  predatory  parties  to  New  York,  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  directed  Admiral  Gambler  to  write  Captain 
Colins  in  their  joint  behalf,  that  they  thought  it  nnsafe  for 
him  and  Captain  Ferguson  to  remain  longer  in  New  Jersey. 
But  Captain  Colins'  vessels  being  wind-bound  for  several 
days,  gave  Captain  Ferguson  time  for  another  enterprise. 
r)n  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  of  October,  some  deserters 
from  l*ulaski's  Legion  gave  information  of  that  corps  being 


68 


KimrS  MOUNTAIN 


i 


posli'd,  within  strii^iiitj  ilislaiici',  i-U'vcn  niik's  up  thr  river; 
wlu'ii  l'\igiis()ii  lonm.'cl  llu-  tU'si^n  of  ;Uli.'mj)liii^  ihcir  sur- 
prise. 

The  chii  r  of  ihi'se  deserters  was  oiu"  Juliet,  a  renej^ade 
from  the  I  lessians  the  preeecUui;  winter,  who  was  sent  by  the 
Hoard  of  War  to  Puhiski,  without  a  coinniission  indi-i'd, 
hut  with  orders  to  ju'rinil  hini  to  do  llu*  (hitv  ol  a  Sul)-IJeu- 
tenant  in  the  Le^don.  This  man  was  treated  with  such  cHs- 
respect  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jiaron  l)t«  Hosen,  whose  hii,di 
sense  of  honor  led  him  to  despise  a  person,  wiio,  even  thouifji 
a  commissioned  otiicer,  could  hi'  guilty  ol'  desertintr  his 
colors,  that  the  culprit  determini'd  to  reveni(i'  himself  in  a 
manner  that  could  not  ha\e  been  fori'seiMi  or  imaiL(ined. 
Uniler  pretence  of  fishing',  In;  one  da\'  left  the  camp  with 
live  others,  and  as  the\  did  not  return  at  the  proper  time, 
and  it  could  not  In-  suppnsed  that  Juliet  would  have  tin-  har- 
dihood to  rejoin  the  eneniw  lhe\  weri'  thought  to  ha\e  been 
drowned.  Hut  Juliet  had  thi'  duplicity  to  di-bauch  three  of 
the  soldiers,  and  the  otiu'r  two  were  ibrced  to  ljo  with  them. 

Pulaski's  corps,  as  ihe  deserters  correctly  stated,  con- 
sisted of  three  companies  ol'infantry.  ()ccup\inif  thrc^e  houses 
by  thernsel\-es,  under  the  Lieutenant-Colonel  Haron  De 
IJosen  :  while  Pulaski,  with  a  troop  of  cavalrv.  was  sta- 
tioned some  distance  beyond,  with  a  detachment  ot"  artillery, 
havini^  a  brass  lield  piece.  Accordingly  I'^erguson  selected 
two  hundred  and  lil'ty  men.  partly  marines,  leaving  in  boats 
at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth  ;  and,  at'ter 
rowing  ten  miles,  lluy  reached  a  bridge  at  tour  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  within  a  mile  of  Pulaski's  infantrv.  The 
bridge  was  seized,  so  as  to  cover  their  retreat,  and  lift)-  men 
left  for  its  defence.  Deliosen's  inl'antry  companies  were  sur- 
rounded and  completely  surprisi'd,  and  attacked  as  they 
emerged  from  their  houses.  "It  being  a  night  attack," 
says  Ferguson,  in  his  report,  "■little  quarter  could,  of  course, 
be  given" — so  they  cut,  and  slashed,  and  bayoneted,  killing 
all  who  came  in  their  way.  and  taking  only  live  prisoners. 


AND   ITS  HEROES. 


59 


'J'lu-  Amrr'u'ans,  rousril  iVoin  lluir  sluinlHTs,  loiiglit  as  wi'll 
as  tlu'\'  loiiUl. 

Tlu'  hapli'ss  liaroii  Df  Uosi'ti.  (Hi  llic  tlrsi  alarm,  nisla-d 
out.  arnu'd  willi  liis  swurtl  and  pistols  ;  ami  lli<)ii;^h  he  was  a 
ri'inarkahl}'  sloiil  tnati.  and  loiiiL^dit  liki-  a  liuii,  he  was  soon 
nvcrjiowiTi'd  by  laiinhiTs  and  kilk-d.  S(»  far,  at  K-ast,  as 
llu-  doublf-lraiLor.  Juliet,*  was  coiitrrncd.  rcvi-n^r  on 
Do  IJoscn  si'i'Uis  to  lia\r  hern  his  ohji-el  ;  and  his  \'oiee 
was  distinel'y  lu'ard  exchiiniinif.  amid  llu-  din  and  eont'usion 
of  the  strife  :  '*  This  is  tlie  Colonel — kill  him  \"  l)e  liosen's 
body  was  found  pierced  with  bayom-ts.  Lii'uli'uant  I)e 
La  Borderie,  toyi'ther  with  sonu;  forty  ol  the  nu-n,  were  also 
amoUjLf  the  slain.      It  was  a  sad  and  sanguinary  occurrence. 

On  the  first  alarm,  i'ulaski  hastened  with  his  cavalry  to 
the  support  of  his  unfortunate  intantr\-,  when  the  British, 
hearin^r  the  clatterinu;-  hoofs,  <j;i\  in^"  note  of  their  approach, 
lied  in  dis(jrder.  leavinij  behind  them  arms,  accoutrements, 
hats,  blades,  etc.  I'ulaski  captured  a  fi'w  prisoners  ;  liut 
between  tlu'  place  ol"  conllict  and  the  bridge  was  very 
swampv,  over  which  llu"  ca\alry  could  scarcely  walk. 
Reachini;"  the  bridm'.  llu'y  lounil  llu'  plank  thrown  oil',  to 
]irevent  pursuit  by  tlie  ca\alry.  The  rilK-men,  and  some  of 
the  inl"antr\  ,  however,  passed  over  on  the  strinL^-jMeces,  and 
lired  somi'  xoUeys  on  the  rear  of  the  retreating'  Ibe,  which 
thev  returni'd.  '"\Ve  had  the  advantau'e."  savs  I'ulaski, 
"and  made  them  run  again,  although  they  out-iuunbered 
us."  As  llie  ca\ahy  coulil  not  pass  the  stream.  Pulaski 
recalled  his  pioneers:  and  he  adds,  in  his  report,  that  his 
partv  cut  otr  about  twentv-five  of  Feriiuson's  nn-n  in  their 
retreat,  who  took  refuge  in  the  woods,  and  doubtless  subse- 
quently rejoined  their  friends.  Ferguson's  loss,  as  he 
reported  it,  was  two  killed,  three  wounded,  and  one  missing. 

*  Juliet  seems  imt  to  have  lieun  iruwned  witli  lioiiors  l)y  llit  Hrilisli  'H  Ins  roliirn.  A 
I'.ritisli  Dinry  "f  the  Revolution,  piihlished  in  Vnl.  iv  of  the  IIistori<.il  .Mni^miin:  |).  '  {0. 
under  dale  Xewi)ort.  R.  I.,  January  nth.  1779,  states:  "In  tlie  fleet  from  Lony  island 
arrived  several  Hessians,  anions  them  is  one  Lieutenant  Juliet,  of  the  I.andgravj  ri-siment 
who  deserted  to  tlie  Provincials  when  the  Island  was  besieged  by  them,  and  tlicn  went 
back  to  New  York.     J/e  is  uiHiiraii  nrrest," 


I-  a:  I*.  ' . ;  r 


60 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


lie  attempted  to  excuse  tlie  butchery  of  Pulaski's  unsus- 
pecting iniantrv,  In'  alleging  that  he  learned  from  the 
deserters,  who  came  to  iiim,  that  the  Count  had,  \n  public 
orders,  forbade  all  granting  of  quarters — information  which 
proved  to  be  false,  and  w  hich  Ferguson  should  never  have 
trusted,  especially  on  the  word  of  deserters.  It  is  credit- 
able, however,  to  his  humanity,  amid  the  excitements  and 
horrors  of  war,  that  he  refrained  iVom  wantonly  destroying 
the  houses  of  non-combatants,  though  thev  sheltered  the 
personal  etiects  of  his  enemies.  "  We  had  an  opportunity," 
says  Ferguson,  in  his  report  to  Sir  llcnry  Clinton,  **  of 
destroying  part  of  the  baggage  and  equipage  of  Pulaski's 
Legion,  by  burning  their  quarters,  but,  as  the  houses 
belonged  to  some  inoffensive  C^^iakers,  who,  I  am  afraid, 
have  sutliciently  sullered  already  in  the  confusion  of  a  night's 
scramble,  I  know.  Sir,  that  you  will  think  with  us,  that  the 
injury  to  be  thereby  done  to  the  enemy,  would  not  have 
compensated  for  the  sullerings  of  these  innocent  people." 

As  the  lleet  were  going  out  of  Litde  Egg  Ilarbtjr,  the 
Zebra,  the  flag-ship,  grounded,  and  to  prevent  her  from 
falling  into  the  haiuls  of  the  Americans,  Captain  Colins 
ordered  her  set  on  lire  :  and  as  tlie  tire  reached  her  guns, 
they  were  discharged,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the  Amer- 
icans, who  beheld  the  conflagration.  Besides  their  military 
operati  jns.  Judge  Jones,  the  Royalist  historian  of  New 
York,  states  of  lu-rguson  and  his  men,  that  they  "plun- 
dered the  inhabitants,  burnt  their  houses,  their  churches, 
and  their  barns  ;  ruined  their  farms  ;  stole  'Jieir  cattle,  hogs, 
horses,  and  sheep,  and  then  triumphantb,  returned  to  New 
York  " — evidendy  conveying  the  idea  that  this  mode  of 
warfare  was  not  honorable  to  those  who  ordered,  nor  to 
those  who  were  engaged  in  it. 

Irving  denounces  Ferguson's  enterprise  as  "a  marauding 
expedition,  worthy  of  die  times  of  the  buccaneers."  Sir 
Henry  Clinton,  on  the  other  hand,  reported  it  to  the  Home 
Government,  as  a  "  success,   under   the  direction   of  tliat 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


ei 


very  active  and  zealous  ofllcer,  Ferguson,"  whilt"  Admiral  _ 
Gambier  pronounced  it  '•  a  spirited  service."  Ferjifuson  fidly 
accomplisiied  the  purpose  for  which  he  set  out — the  destruc- 
tion of  the  vessels,  stores,  and  works  at  Little  E;^,t^  Harbor; 
and,  in  addition,  inllicted  a  severe  blow  on  a  portion  of 
Pulaski's  Le!4"ion.* 

During  the  campaign  of  1779,  Captain  Ferguson  was 
engaged  in  sexcral  predatory  incursions  along  the  coast, 
and  on  the  Hudson — having  been  stationed  awhile  at  Ston}' 
Point  before  its  captiu'e  by  Wayne;  steadily  increasing  the 
contidence  of  his  superiors,  and  extorting  the  respect  of  the 
Americans  for  his  valor  and  enterprise.  On  the  twenty-tifth 
of  October,  in  this  year,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Major  in  the  second  battalion  of  the  seventy-first  regiment, 
or  Highland  Light  Infantry,  composed  of  Frasers,  Camp- 
Ik'IIs.  McArthurs.  McDonalds,  McLeods,  and  man\-  others 
ofthelinest  Scotch  laddies  in  the  l^ritish  service. 

When  Sir  Henry  Clinton  fitted  out  his  expedition  against 
Charleston,  at  the  close  of  1779,  he  very  naturally  selected 
Major  Ferguson  to  share  in  the  important  enterprit','.  A 
corps  of  diree  hundred  men.  called  the  American  Voli  nteers, 
was  assigned  for  his  command — he  having  the  choice  of 
bf)th  otlicers  and  soldiers  ;  and  for  this  special  service,  he 
had  given  him,  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel.  At  his 
request.  Major  Hanger's  corps  of  two  bundled  Hessians 
were  to  be  joined  to  Ferguson's.  Early  in  February,  the 
seventy-first  regiment  and  Ferguson's  corps  were  sent  from 
Savannah  to  Augusta  :  and,  early  in  March,  the  American 
\'()lunteers  formed  a  part  of  the  Georgia  troops,  who  were 
ordered,  under  (General  Patterson,  to  march  towards  Charles- 
ton, and  join  the  main  force  under  Sir  Henrv  Clinton. 


*Toiirliinij  this  Little  Ej;i;  Harbor  expedition,  sec  reports  of  Sir  Henry  Clintnii.  Ailmi- 
ral  CianihiLr,  Captains  Kerens. m  and  Ccilins,  in  Almon  x,  fsi>-5''):  I'niaski's  repuri.  Pennsyl- 
vania f'lii/ict.  October  2»,  1778;  Uivinylon's  Koynl  Cit:ft/i\  Oct'iber  24.  1778;  Political 
M<ii^,izini\  1781.  p.  fio;  MarshalTs  U^nshinfffiui,  rcvisetl  edition,  i.  'J70-71  ;  Rt'^/y  to  Judt^f 
Johnson,  vindiiaiing  ("onnt  I'niaski.  by  Paul  I'entalmi.  sonii  r  1  aptain  in  Pnlaski's  Lcgiuii, 
iSift.  36-37;  Irving's  ll'iislihigton,  iii,  472-75;  Bancroft's  History,  x,  15s;  Lossing's  Fii/it 
P'i'l:.  ii.  S2y ;  Harber  S:  Howes'  A  :u  Jersey,  108-9;  and  Jcnes'  History  of  Ne;^'  York 
During  the  Kevolutionary  War,  ij-'S;. 


'       J 


li   ' 


G2 


KING'S  J/Oi  WTAJN 


On  tliL*  thirteenth  of  the  month,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fcr- 
<j^us()n.  with  liis  Volunteers,  and  Major  Cochrane,  with  the 
intantr\-  of  Tarleton's  Legion,  were  ordered  forward  to 
secure  llie  passes  at  Bee  Creek,  Coosahatchie,  and  Tully 
Finny  bridges,  about  twenty-six  miles  in  athance  of  the 
army,  which  w  as  as  promptly  eifected  as  the  obstacles  in 
the  way  would  jiermit.  It  was  a  toilsome  march  through 
swanijis  and  diliicult  passes,  having  frequent  skirmishes 
witii  tlie  opposing  militia  of  tiie  country.  These  active  olll- 
cers,  with  tlieir  light  troops,  received  intelligence  of  two 
parlies  ol  inounted  Americans  at  some  distance  in  achance. 
and  at  once  n-sohod  to  surprise  them  by  a  night  attack — a 
kind  of  service  lor  which  Colonel  Ferguson  luul  an  especial 
lilness,  and  in  which  he  took  unusual  di'light. 

Arri\ing  at  nine  o'clock  in  liu'  exening  near  the  spot 
iVom  which  ho  meant  to  dislodge  tlie  Americans,  at  Mc- 
Piierson's  ])lantation,  Ferguson  discovered  tliat  the\  had 
decamped,  and  he  consequently  took  possession  of  tiu-ir 
abandoned  position,  camping  there  for  the  night,  aiul 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  main  British  force,  who  were  to 
pass  near  it  the  next  morning.  Major  Cochrane,  w  itli  his 
party,  piloted  by  another  route,  througii  swamps  and  b}-- 
wavs,  arrived,  before  morning,  just  in  front  of  Ferguson's 
camp;  and,  judging  by  die  fires  that  the  Americans  were 
still  diere.  led  his  men  t(^  the  attack  witii  li.xed  bayonets. 
Ferguson,  expecting  that  the  iVmerican  party  miglit  return, 
had  his  picket  guard  out.  who,  seeing  tlu'  approach  of  what 
they  regarded  as  an  enemy,  gave  the  alarm,  when  the 
Legion  rushed  upon  them,  driving  them  pell-mell  to  Fergu- 
son's camp,  w  here  the  aroused  American  \'olunteers  were 
ready  >  recei\e  them.  "Charge  I"  was  the  word  on  both 
sides  :  md,  for  a  little  season,  the  conflict  raged.  Ferguson, 
wielding  his  sword  in  his  left  hand,  di'fendfd  himself",  as 
well  as  he  could,  against  three  assailants,  who  opposed  him 
with  fixed  bayonets,  one  of  which  was  unfortunately  thrust 
through  his  left  arm.     When   on  the  point  of  falling,  amid 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


(i3 


the  confusion  and  clashin::^  of  arms,  Major  Cochrane  and 
Colonel  Ferguson,  almost  at  tlie  same  moment,  recognized 
each  other's  voices,  and  exerted  themselves  to  jiut  a  stop  to 
the  mistaken  contlict.  Two  ol"  Ferguson's  men,  and  one  of 
tlie  Legion,  were  killed  in  this  unliappy  alVair.  and  several 
wounded  on  both  sides.  Lieutenant  McIMu-rson,  ot'  the 
Legion,  received  ha\-onet  wounds  in  the  hand  and  shoulder. 

Hut  tor  the  timely  recognition,  on  the  part  of  the  com- 
manders, of  the  nnitual  mistake,  Colonel  Ferguson  would 
most  likely  have  lost  his  life — "a  life,"  says  iNLijor  Hanger, 
'•equally  valuable  to  the  wlujle  arm\-,  and  to  his  friends." 

*'  It  was  melancholy  enough,"  wrote  a  participant  in  tlie 
allair,  near  three  weeks  afterwards,  "  to  see  Colonel  Fergu- 
son disabled  in  both  arms  :  but,  thank  God,  lie  is  perfectly 
recovered  again."  Tarleton  comiricnds  "  the  intrepiditv 
and  presence  of  mind  of  the  leaders,"  in  this  casual  engage- 
ment, as  having  saved  their  respective  parties  from  a  more 
fatal  termination.  "The  whole  army  felt  for  the  gallant 
Ferguson,"  says  Hanger;  and  the  peculiar  circumstances 
attending  this  unlucky  conflict,  long  furnished  the  camp  and 
bivouac  with  a  melancholy  topic  of  conversation.* 

The  fleet  having  crossed  the  bar,  and  gained  the  water 
command  thence  to  Charleston,  enabled  Sir  Henr\-  Clinton 
to  bestow  more  attention  than  he  had  hitherto  done,  to  cut- 
ting otT  the  connnunications  of  the  Americans  between  the 
city  and  country.  A  body  of  militia,  together  with  the 
remains  of  three  Continental  regiments  of  liglit  drauoons, 
k-d  by  Colonel  Washington  and  otIu>rs.  and  all  under  tlie 
command  of  General  Huger.  were  stationed  at  Iliggin 
J3ridge,  near  Monk's  Corner,  about  thirty  miles  from 
Charleston.  To  destroy  or  disperse  this  partv.  and  thus 
inevent  supplies  of  food  and  rc-inforcenients  of  men  to  the 
beleaguered  city,  was  a  capital  object  with  .Sir  Henr\  Clin- 
lon  ;  and  its  immediate  execution  was  assigned  to  Colonel 


*Trirleton's  C<rw/.t/."/.f.  7-8;  Marken?ic's  ,SV;7V7«;«  «,,    /;(;•/,/,.«,  2j ;   Hanger's   Reply 

10  jlAi, /.(V/i/,',  ^4--;  :   Sii-iie  of  C/iar/fif,<ii,  •;L!-;g. 


fi4 


K/NCrS  MOUXTAfN 


Tarlcton  and  liis  l-,c'i,n()n,  to  be  secoiuk'd  liy  Lioulfnant- 
ColoiH'l  FiT^uson  and  his  ritk'tiu'ii.  Tarleton  was  dashing, 
tireless,  and  unmerciful.  "Ferguson,"  says  Irving,  "was 
a  tit  associate  for  Tarleton,  in  hard}-,  scrambling,  partisan 
enterprise  ;  equally  intrepid  and  determined,  but  cooler,  and 
more  open  to  impulses  of  humanity." 

As  a  night  march  had  been  judged  the  most  advisable, 
"^Farleton  and  Ferguson  moved,  on  the  evening  of  April 
thirteenth,  from  Goose  creek,  half  way  from  Chark'ston,  to 
strike,  if  possible,  an  effective  blow  at  Iluger's  camp.  Some 
distance  beyond,  a  negro  was  descried  attempting  to  leave 
the  road,  and  avoid  notice.  He  was  seized,  and  was  dis- 
covered to  be  a  servant  of  one  of  Iluger's  olbcers.  A  letter 
was  taken  from  his  pocket,  written  by  his  master  the  pre- 
ceding afternoon,  which,  with  the  negro's  intelligence,  pur- 
chased lor  a  few  dollars,  proved  a  fortunate  circimistance  for 
the  advancing  party.  They  learned  the  relative  positions  of 
Iluger's  forces,  on  both  sides  of  Cooper  river,  and  had  in 
him  a  guide  to  direct  them  there,  through  unfrequented 
paths  and  by-ways. 

Destitute  of  patrols,  linger  was,  in  ell'ect,  taki-n  com- 
pletely by  surprise  ;  and  the  bold  and  sudden  onset,  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  fourteenth.  c|uickly 
scattered  the  astonished  Americans.  They  had.  indeed, 
some  slight  notice  of  the  attack  :  but  they  were  not  properK' 
prepared  for  it.  The  cavalry  was  posted  on  the  side  of  the 
river  where  the  tirst  approach  was  made,  and  the  infantry  on 
the  opposite  bank.  "Although,"  says  Ramsay,  "the  com- 
manding otlicer  of  the  American  cavalry  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution ol  having  his  horses  saddled  and  bridled,  and  the 
alarm  was  given  by  his  videttes,  posted  at  the  distance  of  a 
mile  in  front :  yet,  being  entirely  unsupported  bv  infantrv, 
the  British  advanced  so  raj'jidlv.  notwithstanding  the  opjiosi- 
tion  of  the  advanced  guard,  that  thev  began  tlu-ir  attack  on 
the  main  body  before  they  could  put  themselves  in  a  postinx* 
of  defence."  Then  Major  Cochrane,  with  Tarleton's  Legion, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


66 


quickly  /orccd  the  passage  of  Biggin  Bridge,  and  drove 
General  linger  and  the  intantr^'  before  him.  "  In  diis 
allair,"  says  James,  "Major  James  Conyers,  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, distinguished  himself  by  a  skillful  retreat,  and  by  call- 
ing otV  the  attention  of  the  enemy  tVom  his  sleeping  friends 
to  himself.  In  this  surprise,  the  British  made  tree  use  of 
tile  bayonet ;  the  houses  in  Monk's  Corner,  then  a  village, 
were  afterwards  deserted,  but  long  bore  the  marks  of  deadly 
thrust  and  much  blood-shed." 

Several  otlicers,  who  attempted  to  defend  themselves, 
were  killed  or  wounded.  The  assailing  party  lost  but  one 
ollicer  and  two  privates  woiuuled,  with  live  horses  killed  or 
disabled.  General  linger,  Ct)lonel  Washington,  and  Major 
Jameson,  witli  most  of  their  troops,  fled  to  the  adjacent 
s\\  amps  and  thickets  ;  while  three  Captains,  one  Lieutenant, 
and  ten  privates  were  killed  ;  one  Major,  one  Captain,  two 
Lieutenants,  and  fifteen  privates  were  wounded,  and  sixtv- 
four  ofiicers  and  men,  including  the  woimded,  were  made 
prisoners.  Some  two  lumdred  horses,  from  thirtv  to  forty 
wagons,  and  (juite  a  supply  of  pro\isions  and  military 
stores,  were  among  tb'  trophies  ">f  the  victors.  U  it  was 
not  a  "  shameful  surjirise,"  as  General  Moultrie  pro- 
nounced it,  it  was,  at  least,  a  very  distressing  atVair  for  the 
Americans.  Poor  General  linger,  and  his  aid,  John  Izard, 
remained  in  the  swamp  from  Friday  morning,  the  time  of 
tlie  surprise,  till  die  succeeding  Monday  :  it  was  a  long  fast, 
and  the  exposure  produced  severe  sickness  on  the  part  of 
the  General,  causing  him  to  retire  awhile  from  the  service.* 

Among  the  American  wounded  was  Major  Vernier,  a 
b'reiich.  ollicer,  who  commanded  the  remains  of  the  Legion 
of  Count  Casimir  Pulaski,  wlu)  had  lost  his  life  at  Savan- 
nah tlu-  preceding  autumn.  "  The  Major,"  says  Steadman, 
a  British  historian  and  eve-witness,  '*  was  mangled  in  the 
most  shocking  manner  ;  lie  had   several   wounds,  a  severe 

*  Ramsny's  Ixet'oliitwii,  ii.  64;  Moiillrie's  Afeiiioirs,  ii,  7a:  Tarleton's  Campaigns,  15-17; 
Steadniaii's  Aimticah  II  ur.  ii.  182-81:  J.imes'  f.i/e  0/  Marion,  16-J7;  Siege  0/  Charleston, 
i.'4,  1O4  ;  Simm's  South  Carolina  in  the  Kerolution.  125.  138;  Irving's  Washington,  iv,  51-52. 


w 

■  I 


66 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


ilii 


11    'i 
J 


one  behind  his  oar.  This  iinforlunatp  ofllcor  lived  several 
hours,  reprolialiii!^  ihi'  Americans  for  their  conduct  on  this 
occasion,  and  even  in  his  last  moments  cursing  tlie  British 
for  their  barbarity,  in  having  ret'used  quarter  after  he  had 
surrendered.  The  writer  of  this,  who  was  ordered  on  this 
expedition,  allbrded  ever}-  assistance  in  his  power,  and  liad 
the  Major  put  upon  a  table,  in  a  public  house  in  the  village, 
and  a  blanket  thrown  over  him.  In  his  last  moments, 
the  Major  was  frecjuently  insulted  b\-  tiie  prnati's  of  the 
Legion."  Such  mercik'ss  treatment  of  a  d\ing  foe,  was 
eniinentU  bellttiui'"  the  sa\aiie  character  of  "^Farleton  and 
his  men. 

liritish  historians  repel,  with  indignant  language,  the 
charge  of  permitting  the  violation  or  abusc>  of  females  to 
go  unpunished  ;  yet  Connnissary  Steadman  ri'lates  a  case 
hiiiiilv  deroi^atorv  of  the  ct)nduct  of  some  of  Tarleton's 
Legion.  In  the  course  of  this  maraud,  several  of  the  dra- 
goons broke  into  the  iiouse  of  Sir  John  Colleton,  in 
the  neighborliood  of  Monk's  Corner,  and  maltreatt'd  and 
attempted  \iolence  ujion  three  ladies  residing  there — one,  tlu' 
wife  of  a  Charleston  pliysician,  a  most  delicate  and  b(,>auti- 
ful  woman,  was  most  barbarously  treated;  another  lath' 
rt'ceived  one  or  two  sword  wountls  ;  while  an  luunarried 
lady,  a  sister  of  a  prominent  American  Major,  was  also 
shamefulh"  misused.  They  all  succeedt'd  in  making  tiieir 
escape  to  Monks  Corner,  where  they  were  protected  ;  and 
a  carriage  being  provided,  they  were  escorted  to  a  house  in 
that  region.  The  guilty  dragoons  were  apprehended,  and 
brought  to  camp.  whert\  by  this  time.  Colonel  Webster  had 
arri\H'd  and  taken  tlu'  command.  "Colonel  Ferguson," 
savs  Sti'adman.  "was  for  putting  the  dragoons  to  instant 
death  :  but  Coloni'l  Webster  did  not  conceiv(>  that  liis  jiow- 
ers  exltMided   lo   that  of  holding  a   geni>ral  court-ma.tial.* 

Il  nnisi  lint  l)c  inferred  lliat  Ciiloiiel  Wulister,  who  w.is  the  next  year  kille<l  ;il 
OiiiMuril.  was  iiulifTerciit  lo  such  nfTences:  for.  we  are  assured,  that  to  an  officer  under  his 
<  oniiiiaiid.  who  had  so  fir  forKotteii  liiniself  as  lo  offer  an  insult  to  a  lady,  he  hurled  many 
a  hitler  iinprecation.  and  had  him  immediately  turned  out  of  the  regiment. —  Political 
Mtigiiziiie,  1781,  34a. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


r.7 


The  prisoners  were,  however,  sent  to  head-qiuirters,  and,  I 
hclicvt\  were  afterwards  tried  and  whipped."  Tliis  decisive 
action  on  the  part  ot"  Colonel  Ferguson  was  liighly  credit- 
able to  his  head  and  his  heart.  '"We  honor,"  sa3s  Irvinj^^, 
"  the  rou<jfh  soldier,  Ferguson,  for  the  flat  of  '  instant  di'ath,' 
with  which  he  would  have  nHjuited  the  most  infamous 
and  dastardly  outrage  that  brutalizes  warfare."  "^rarleton, 
possessing  none  of  the  finer  feelings  of  human  nature, 
failed  to  second  ^^erguson's  efVorts  to  bring  the  culprits 
to  punishment;  for,  "afterwards,  in  England,  he  had  the 
ertronter}'  to  boast,  in  the  presence  of  a  lady  of  respecta- 
bility, that  he  had  killed  more  men,  and  ravished  more 
women,  than  any  man  in  America."* 

The  long  protracted  siege  of  Charleston  was  now  draw- 
ing to  a  close.  In  the  latter  part  of  April,  Colonel  Fer- 
guson marched  down  with  a  party,  and  captured  a  small 
redoubt  at  lladdrelTs  Point,  half  a  mile  above  Sullivan's 
Island  ;  and,  on  the  seventh  of  May,  he  obtained  permission 
to  attack  Fort  jMt)ultrie,  and  while  upon  the  march  for  that 
object,  he  received  intelligence  of  the  surrender  of  the  Fort 
to  Captain  Hudson,  who  was  relieved  of  the  command 
by  Colonel  Ferguson. f  And  shortly  thereafter.  General 
Lincoln  gave  up  the  city  he  had  so  long  and  so  valiantl}- 
defended. 


♦Steadinani  .Jwcr/iYin  War,  ii,   183:   Irvine's   Washington,  iv.  52-53:  Garden's  Ancc- 
doti\t.  Field's  lirooklj'n  edition,  18-5,  ii,   App'x  viii:  Mrs.  Warren's  Hist.     \m.  Revolution, 

ii,  197. 

\  Siege  0/  Charleston,  i6j-66;  I'arleton's  Cain/'aigns,  50. 


t  1 


Ii 


j! 

liii 


I    il 


68 


KnVG'S  MOUi\TAIN 


CHAPTER    IV. 


1780-  May-  July. 


Colonel  l-'rri^iison  soil  to  tlic  D/'.a/n)  f  of  A/jtr/f  S/.v.—  ( )ri^'<rf//:;//ii^'-  the 
Loeal  Mi/ilia. — Afirjor  //(jnxrr'x  lueoiint  of  the  iip-eoiiiitrv  iiihuhi- 
tiiiits^h/s  070/1  luut  refiulation. — /■'eri^iisoii's  seductiiu-  promises  to 
(he  people. —  The  Tory,  Dainil  /■'iiiiii/!i_i;.--J-'e)i;iiso)!'s  lu/nptotioii  to 
his  Mission — Mrs.  JiUie  Thomas  lutv,  iitiire. —  Colonel  'f  homos  repels 
ti  'Tory  ossoitit  ot  (  'ediir  .S'/>rini^':  —  /-eixiisoit  oitv,inees  to  I'oir  l-'orest. 
—  Charaeter  oj  the  lories — Stories  of  their  pliimh-rini^s. —  Colonels 
Clarke  ami  Jones  of  Ceort^ia — ///,•  latter  surprises  a  'Tory  eamp. — 
Dunlap  an, I  .Mills  attoek  .]/e Don'elTs  eamp  on  \orth  Pacolet.— 
Captain  Hampton' s puisiiit  and  defeat  of  the  Tories. 

On  IIk'  reduction  of  Charleston,  Sir  nenr\-  Clinton 
was,  for  the  ensuinj4"  lew  weeks,  busily  employed  in  issuing; 
proclamations  and  lbrmin;jf  plans  lor  the  conijiUMA-  subjui^a- 
tion  of  the  Carolinas  and  Georjuia.  He  had  on  the  eitjjh- 
teenth  of  May,  dispatched  Lord  Connvallis  with  a  strouif 
force  on  the  nordi-east  side  of  the  Santi-e  to  Camden  ;  while 
Coloui'l  Fi\rguson,  at  the  same  time,  with  a  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  men  of  the  Pro\incial  corps,  marched 
from  Nelson's  Ferry  via  Colonel  Thomson's,  Beaver  creek, 
and  the  Con^aree  Store,  crossin.^"  the  Saluda  above  the 
mouth  of  Jiroad  river ;  thence  on  to  Little  river  and  Ninety 
Six,  where  they  arrived  on  the  twenty-second  of  June.  '^I'hey 
performed  their  marches  in  the  cool  of  tlu-  morniny;,  and  now 
and  lluMi  apiirehended  prominent  Whiles  on  the  route.  His 
orders  were  to  tia\e  a  watch-care  over  the  extended  district 
of  country  from  the  Wateree  to  the  Saluda,  well  niirh  a 
hundred  miles.  Resuniin<^  his  march  he  passed  on  to 
Ninety  Six,  whence,  after  a  fortnight's  rest,  he  advanced 
some  sixteen  miles,  and  selected  a  good  location  on  LitUc 


M 


AND  ITS  rrP.ROFS. 


60 


river  where  he  erected  soiiu"  lii'ld  works,  while  most  of 
his  r"*rovincials  pushetl  on  to  the  h'air  I"^)rest  iH'iL,non.*  This 
ciuiip  was  at  the  phmtation  of  Colonel  James  Williams, 
in  what  is  now  Laurens  County,  near  the  Newberry  line, 
where  the  Hritish  i.ncl  Tories  loni;-  maintained  a  post,  a  jiart 
of  the  time  under  Cieneral  Cunningham,  till  the  enemy 
evacuated   Ninety  Six  the  following  year.f 

Sir  Henry  Clinton  hail  directed  Major  Hanger  to  repair 
with  Colonel  Ferguson  to  the  interior  settU-ments,  and, 
jointly  or  separately,  to  organize,  muster,  and  regulate  all 
volunteer  corps,  and  inspect  the  (piantity  of  grain  and  num- 
ber of  cattle,  etc.,  belonging  to  the  inhabitants,  and  report 
to  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  would  be  left  in  command  of  the 
Southern  Provinces.^  The  powers  of  this  warrant  were 
very  extensive  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  It 
was  ni'cdful  that  commissioners  should  lii'  sent  out  prop- 
I'rh'  authorized  to  receive  the  submission  of  the  people, 
administer  oaths  of  fealty,  and  exact  pledges  of  faithtul 
Royal  service.  I':  was  needful,  also,  that  the  \oung  men  of 
the  country  should  be  thoroughly  drilled  and  fitted  for  recmits 
for  Cornwallis'  diminished  forces  ;  and  it  was  equally  neces- 
sary for  that  commander  to  know  where  the  necessary  sup- 
plies of  grain  and  meat  could  be  found.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  how  comprehensive  was  this  mission  and  its  purposes. 

Nor  were  these  the  only  powers  vested  in  these  oHlcers. 
All  Royal  authority  had,  for  several  vears,  been  superseded 
by  enactments  and  appointments  of  tiie  newh  created 
Stati",  and  these^  o:  i.ecessity,  mus,  be  ignored.     So  Colonel 


*T;irleton's  Memoirs,  36,  Ro,  87.  100:  ONeall's  llht.  0/  Xcwherry,  107. 

i  Williams'  place  was  ahuiit  a  mile  wesi  <if  Little  river,  and  bctwern  that  stream  and 
Mnu  I.iok  crjvk,  on  the  ol  !  Island  F  rd  road,  follw  d  by  General  Onenc  when  lie 
retreated  fri>Mi  Ninety  Six.  in  17'ji.  Ferguson's  camp  was  near  ilic  intersection  f  a  rn.id 
le.idmt;  to  I.anrens  C  H..  about  si.\t(  jn  miles  distant.  MS.  letters  of  General  A  C. 
C.arliiigton.  July  igih  and  2Rth.  1880,  on  antbority  ..f  Colonel  James  W.  Watts,  a  descendant 
of  Colon.  I  Williamsand  Major 'r.  K.  Vance  and  oibcrs.  D.  R  Crawford  of  Martin's  Depot, 
S.  f:.,  states  that  thr  e  miles  above  the  old  Williams'  |ilare,  nn  ibe  W'';r  side  of  T.itlle  river, 
opposite  the  old  Milton  store,  must  have  been  ai\  em  anipnient,  as  old  ynn  barrels  and  yuii 
)o.  ks  have  been  found  there. 

J  llaniLjer's  I.ife  iimi  (^/i/tiioiis,  ii.  .(01-2. 


i! 


m 


n 


70 


KING'S  .VOUNTA/N 


Ferguson  and  Major  flangrr  had  superadded  to  Uieir  mili- 
tary jiowers,  authority  to  perform  the  marriage  service. 
Whether  they  had  occasions  to  otliciate,  we  are  not 
informed.  However  this  may  have  been,  tlie  Major 
evidcntl\-  formeil  no  liigh  estimate  of  the  beautii-s  of  the 
up-country  region.  '•  In  the  back  parts  of  CaroHua,"  says 
Major  Hanger,  "you  may  search  after  an  angel  with  as 
much  chance  of  linding  oni>  as  a  parson  :  there  is  no  such 
thing — 1  mean,  when  I  was  there.  What  thev  are  now.  I 
know  not.  It  is  not  impossi])le,  but  they  may  have  become 
more  religious,  moral,  and  virtuous,  since  the  great  allec- 
tion  thev  liave  imbibed  for  the  French.  In  mv  time,  you 
might  travel  sixty  or  seventy'  miles,  and  not  see  a  church, 
or  even  a  schism  shop  —  meeting-house.  I  have  often 
called  at  a  dog-house  in  the  Avoods,  inhabited  !'>v  eight  or 
ten  persons,  merely  from  curiositv.  I  have  asked  the 
master  of  tlie  house:  '  Pra\',  u\y  frit-nd.  of  what  religion 
are  you?'  'Of  what  religion,  sir?'  'Yes,  my  friend,  of 
what  religion  are  3'ou  —  or,  to  what  sect  do  you  belong?' 
'Oh!  now  I  understand  you;  why,  for  tlu-  nuitter  of  that, 
religion  docs  not  trouble  its  much  in  these  parts' 

"This  distinguished  race  of  men,"  continues  Hanger, 
"are  more  savage  than  the  Indians,  and  possess  evcrx  one 
of  their  \ices,  but  not  one  of  tlu'ir  virtues.  I  have  known 
one  of  these  fellows  travel  two  hundred  miles  through  the 
woods,  never  keeping  anv  road  or  path,  guided  by  the  sun 
by  day,  and  the  stars  by  night,  to  kill  a  particular  person 
belonging  to  the  opposite  party.  He  would  shoot  him 
before  his  own  door,  and  ride  away  to  boast  of  what  he  had 
done  on  his  return.  I  speak  only  of  back-woodsmen,  not 
of  the  inliabitants  in  general  of  South  Carolina  ;  lor,  in  all 
America,  there  are  not  better  educated  or  better  bred  men 
than  the  planters.  Indeed,  Charleston  is  celebrated  for  the 
splendor,  luxury,  and  education  of  its  inhabitants :  I  speak 
only  of  that  heathen  race  known  by  the  name  of  Crachers.""  * 

Such  were  Major  Hanger's  representations  of  the  back- 

♦  HaiijL'er's  I. iff  iinii  O/'i'm'iois,  ii,  403-5. 


'I 


|1    ' 

1'^    f 


LY/)    /7'S   III: ROES. 


71 


woods  pi'opli"  ol'  Carolina  in  liis  n-iordi-d  ri-niinisiciu'cs  ol' 
twi-nlv-ont-  \car.s  lluTcaricr.      I  lis  slurs  and  insinuations  on 


n<r 


llu'  virtues  and  morals  of  tin-  ••  an^i'ls,"  probably  ri-li-rri 
to  llir  ll'niaic's  of  tiu'  lountry.  may  well  l)f  taken  with 
many  grains  of  allowanci'.  (.■omiiin',  as  tlu-y  do,  from  the 
intimali'  iVicnd  and  associate  of  the  protli^ate  I'rinee  Kt'j^ent 
of  J'viiuliind,  and  Colonel   Tarlelon.  both  in  turn  the  keeper 


)!'  the   beautilul,  but    fallen  •' I'erdila 


uicl,  moreover,  nis 


i\\  n  rt'|Mitation  m 


Ameriea  was   that  of  a  sensualist.     'J'he 


pro 


babil 


Uies  ai'e.  lliat  lie  met  w  itli  ui 


■ll-d 


eservecl  \\ 


buti;- 


an( 


rebuki's  iVom  the  ladies  of  the  u|i-eounlry  of  Carolina,  and 
did  not  Ioul;  remain  there  to  thrust  his  msults  upon  a  virtu- 
ous peojile.  As  il"  antiiipatini;  his  own  rich  di-si-rvings,  he 
^i\t's,  in  his  "Lire,"  and  *'Ad\ici'  to  ye  Lovi'ly  Cyprians," 
a  portrait  of  himst'll".  dresst'd  in  his  reginu'Utals,  and  sus- 
pendi'd  from  a  gibbet,  ^'el.  in  the  end,  he  ••  robbed  the 
haniiinan  ol'  his  lees.""  and  die  gallows  ol"  its  \ielim. 


In  a  letter   Iroin 


)rd  Cornwallis  to  Sir  IIenr\'  Clint 


on, 


|une  thirtieth,  i  ySo,  lu'  mentioned  having  dispersed  I^ieu- 
t('nant-CoIoni'l  Halioiu's  (U'taehmenl  from  the  l<^)rks  of  the 
Santee,  by  the  Congarei'S,  to  Xiin-ty  Si.\,  whih"  he  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Imies.  and  Major  Ciraham.  are  gixing 
orders  for  the  militia  of  those  dislriels  ;  ami  then  adds,  eon- 


linnatoiA'  o 


f  Ml 


i|or 


lang 


(.•rs    represt'utation   of   the   mixiH 


il 


character  of  Colonel  l^erguson's  services:  "•  I  haw  ordered 
Major  l'\'rg"uson,"  says  his  Lordshi]),  "to  visit  evt'r\-  district 
in  the  I'roxince  as  fast  as  ihev  iTct  the  militia  established,  to 


procure 


list 


s  ol   eacn, 


anc 


1   t 


o  see 


that 


mv  onk-rs  are  carru'i 


into  execution.     I  ajipreheml  that  his  commission  of  Majoi- 
Commandant  of  a  regiment  of  militia,  can  onK   take  place; 


iss  snouki    he  ca 


1   b 


died 


out    lor 


in  cas(.>  a  part  of  the  second-cl; 
service,  the  home  duly  being  mort'  that  of  a  Justice  of  Pi'ace 
lan  of  a  soldier.""  * 


tl 


Major  Hanger  did  not  remam  many  weeks  with  Colonel 
Ferguson  in  the  Little  river  region;   for,  early  in  August, 

* Li/e  aiiii  Cur,  of  J^prd  ConiwalWs,  i,  4S6. 


Ir.i 


72 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


ho  ontcrorl  Tarloton's  Lofjion  as  Major,  tn  which  ho  had 
ri'ioiilly  been  ap|)(>iiUi'(l.  and  iiailiiipalrd  in  llic  I'Jallli-  ol" 
Caindfii,  and  in  thi-  all'air  al  C'iiailoiic.  In  iiis  lockli'ss 
niannor  of  oxprossion.  tlic  Major  roniarks.  tiial  had  lio 
remaiju'd  witii  l'\'r;4iis()n.  lu-  ini^lit  lia\r  sliarcd  iho  .sanic 
fall-  as  hi'  did  al  Kind's  .Nh)untain  ;  and.  "it',  indoi'd,  as 
Maiioini't  is  said  to  iia\o  done,  I  could  have  laki-n  my  lli,i;ht 
to  Paradise  on  a  jackass,  thai  woidd  ha\e  heen  a  pUasant 
ride;  hut  Fate  ik-stined  me  lor  oilier  ihinns." 

"We  come  not,"  (k'chired  Ferguson,  "to  make  war  on 
women  and  chikh'en,  but  to  reht'\  e  their  chstresscs."  This 
sounded  "grateful  and  pleasant  to  the  ears  of  the  people  —  a 
ku-ife  majority  of  whom,  under  the  leatU'rship  of  the  Cun- 
ninghams, Fletchall,  Roliinson,  and  IVaris,  wi-re  at  heart 
Loyalists,  and  honored  tlu'  Kinif  anil  Parlianu-nt.  'i'o 
Colonel  Ferjfuson's  standard,  whik'  encamped  at  I>ittle 
river,  the  Tories  of  the  country  llocki'd  in  large  nundx-rs. 
Companies  and  regiments  were  organized,  and  many  olli- 
cers  commissioned  for  the  Royal  service.  David  Fanning, 
who  had  long  resided  in  Orange  ami  Chatham  Counties,  in 
the  North  Province,  subsequi'ntly  so  notorious  as  a  "^Fory 
leader  for  his  dare-devil  adventures  and  bloody  work  gener- 
ally, was  among  those  who  repaired  to  Ferguson's  encamp- 
ment;  and  evidenlh,  on  his  personal  reconnnendation  and 
induence,  secured,  in  Julv,  from  Colonel  I'erguson,  com- 
missions, from  ICnsign  to  Captain,  for  no  less  than  sixty-two 
persons  in  the  live  Counties  of  Anson.  Chatham.  Cumber- 
land, Orange,  and  Randolph,  in  North  Carolina,  whosi' 
names  and  residence  lu'  ri'cords  in  his  published  A'arnf/irc. 
Fanning  and  Captain.  Richard  Pearis  had  receivi-d  General 
Williamson's  submission,  and  granted  proti-ction  to  him 
and  his  followers,  and  three  days  thereafter  to  Coloni'i 
Pickens.  Colonel  Robert  Cunningham  had  taken  the  com- 
mand in  the  Ninet\-  Six  region,  and  formed  a  camp  ot 
Loyalists  ;  *  and  British  authoritv  was  fully  recognized  in 
all  the  up-country  of  South  Carolina. 

*V:inTn\.%'s  Nnrrath'c.  12,  11,  19-21, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


78 


The  younger  men  wiTi'  tlioroiirrlily  flrillcd  by  Colonel 
Formison  aiul  his  siihordinati's  in  inililar\  lactiis.  and  littt-d 
lor  ailivf  si'i\  ill".  Xo  one  (.ould  luive  Ivcn  bfttcr  (jualilk'd 
tor  tliis  husiiu'ss  ihan  llii"  distiniLjuislu'd  partisan  whom  Sir 
Ili'ni'v  Clinton  luul  scivili'd  Ibr  tlu'  purposi*.  lie  sei-nu'd 
ahnost  a  born  i-onunancUr.  His  hir^c  expt'rience  in  war, 
and  partiality  lor  n)ilitary  thscipline,  superadded  to  his 
personal  maL,nu'tisin  o\t'r  othi-rs.  eminently  fitted  liim  for 
nnlimiti'd  inllnenci'  o\er  his  men.  and  the  comnKjn  people 
wiliiin  his  n'^ion.  lie  was  not  favored,  however,  with  a 
lommandiiiL;  personal  prt'sence.  lie  was  of  middle  stature, 
slender  make,  j^ossessin^r  a  serious  countenance  ;  yet  it  was 
his  peculiar  characteristic  to  i^ain  the  allections  of  the  men 
under  his  command.  lie  would  sit  down  foi"  hours,  and 
converse  with  the  country  people  on  the  state  of  public 
aOairs,  and  point  out  to  them,  from  his  view,  the  ruinous 
effects  of  the  disloyalty  of  the  rint^-leaders  of  the  rebellion 
—  erroneously  supposing  that  it  was  the  leaders  only  who 
jifave  impulse  to  the  popular  up-risint(  throu<^hout  the  Colo- 
nies. Ik-  was  as  indefati^'ible  in  training  them  to  his  way 
of  thinking,  as  lie  was  in  instructing  them  in  military  exer- 
cises. This  condescension  on  his  part  was  regarded  as 
wonderful  in  a  King's  ollicer,  and  \ery  naturally  went  far 
to  secure  the  respect  and  obedience  of  all  who  came  within 
the  sphere  of  his  almost  magic  inllucnce.* 

Parties  were  sent  out  to  .scour  the  north-western  portion 
of  South  Carolina,  and  apprehend  all  the  Rebel  leaders 
who  could  be  found.  AnK>ng  those  who  had  taken  protec- 
tion, and  were  yet  hurried  ofl'  as  prisoners  to  Ninety  Six, 
was  Colonel  John  Thomas.  Sr..  of  die  Fair  Forest  setUe- 
nient,  then  cpiite  advanced  in  life.  ITis  devoted  wife  rode 
nearly  sixty  miles  to  visit  him,  and  convey  to  him  such  com- 
forts as  she  had  it  in  lu-r  power  to  bestow.  While  thiM-e, 
Mrs.  Thomas  overheard  a  conversation  between  some  T()ry 
women,   of   which    her   quick    ear    caught    these    ominous 

*  Political  Ma  i^,i :  i  II  I- ,  M;irili.  17S1,  125, 


:i| 


74 


K/Axrs  A/orxy.i/.Y 


words  :  "''l^lu-  Tvoyalists  iiitcMul.  to-morrow  iiiijlit.  to  siirprisi' 
'.lu-  Rrln-ls  ill  Cedar  S|>riii<^.""  'I'liis  iiilclli^i'iKr  was  cnoiii^h 
to  llirill  a  mollu'i-'s  heart,  lor  Cedar  Spriiii;'  was  hut  a  lew 
miles  hevond  her  I'^iir  h'oiesl  home,  and  willi  tlie  W  liijn" 
force  wi're  man\-  ol  lier  Irieiids  and  nei^hhors,  and  sonu' 
i'\  en  of  lu-r  own  tliihhi'ii.  No  time  was  to  he  lost  —  sht' 
iiitiiitiveh'  resoKcd  to  do  her  hesi  lo  apprise  ihem  ol  tiie 
(.•nt'iny's  intention  helore  tlie  mechlatetl  hlow  eouhl  hi' 
struck.  Slie  started  early  tlie  next  morning;-,  and  readied 
Cedar  .Spring'  liiat  i'\'eninn'  in  lime  to  ,i;"i\e  them  winning; 
of  tlie  impi'udini^  danger,  w  len  she  quietly  repaired  to  her 
home,  conscious  ol'  having  ilone  her  duty  lo  her  i'oimtr\',  as 
Well  as  perlormed  an  act  ol    the  nohlest  humanitw* 

This  was  on  the  Uvf^Ifth  day  of  July,  f  Colonel  John 
Thomas,  Jr.,  the  sun  (jf  our  heroine,  had  succei'di'd  his 
fathi-r  in  command  of  the  Fair  Forest  ri'i^iment,  and  headi'd 
the  small  band,  some  sixty  in  lunniH'r,  now  eiicamptd  at 
the  Cellar  .Spring-.  [;  Joseph  Alcjunkin  was  one  of  llu> 
party.  It  sei-ms  to  havi-  been  u  camp  ibrmed  lor  collecting;- 
the  regiment,  and  drilling"  them,  |')reparalor\-  'o  joining' 
Sumter.  (3n  receivinj^  the  timely  intelligence  of  tlu' 
inti^nded  IJritish  attack.  Colonel  Thomas  and  h.is  nuii.  alli'r 
a  brief  consultation,  redred  a  small  distance  in  tiu'  lear  ol" 
their  camp  liri's,  and  awaited  tlu-  imiieiidini;  onset.  The 
eneniN',  one  hundred  and  lifty  stronif,  rushed  u]ion  the 
camp,  where  they  expected  to  liiul  the  luckless  l^ebels  |iio- 

*Iii  rrccliliriH  Mrs.  j:ciio  TliDiniis  with  this  Ucrnir.  iicl,  wc  arc  aw.irc  that  Mills,  in  liis 
St,)t:.ti-s  o/  South  C.iyoliiiii.  lias  acroidcd  it  to  Mrs.  M.nry  Oill.inl ;  but  llie  iinifMirii  u-Mi 
niony  Ol  ilip 'rii"iiias  faiiiily,  iniluiliim  Major  M(  Itiiikin,  wlin  marricil  a  iliiiinlilrr  of  Col- 
(inc'l  TlKitnas.  (jiv.  s  tlic  narrativi:  as  w<;  have  suhstantially  r  latcd  it.  'riie  oi  i  asioii  of  her 
vivil  lo  Niiirly  Six,  anil  rcsidiiii;  in  ilie  nci^hhnrhooil  r)f  Cedar  SpriiiK.  Ko  far  lo  sustain  this 
virw  of  the  matter.  Mrs.  Dillard,  on  the  other  hand,  lived  fnlly  thirty  miles  southeast  ■!( 
Cellar  Sjirini;,  and  sontli  of  tin-  F.norec  river,  in  Lauren's  Distrii  t  -  and  on  tlo-  route  'I'arU 
ton  pursued  when  on  his  way  to  attark  Sumter  at  niarkstork's  on  I'yKcr  ;  and  I'.irleton 
relates,  th.it  "a  woman  on  horschai  k  had  viewrd  the  line  of  inarch  from  a  wood,  .nid,  l>y  a 
ni.-.irer  road,  had  civen  inlelliuenc  c   '  lo  Sunitir.     Th.it  woman  was   Mrs.   I>illard. 

•|-('ompare  McCall's  (ieorgin.  ii.  iio  ;  Moore's  l^i'itty,  ii,  j^ji  :  and  .Allaire's  Piitry,  July 
14th  and  i.sll>. 

}  Odar  Sprin,i;  deii\i  il  its  n,iiiic  from  a  l.-ir^e  eed.ir  tree,  tl  .11  lorinirl)  orn.inieiiii  il  the 
hanks  of  this  tim-  spring,  whic  h  is  ahout  fifty  feet  in  tin  iinifereiiee  It  has  three  prinripal 
fountains  or  snnries  of  supplv.  wlii'  li  forrc  the  water  from  tlo-  howels  of  il.r  earth  forming 
II  Ijeaulifnl  hasin  three  feel  tlcep.     'I'll';  \\ater  is  imjirej^n.itt-d  with  a  s.iiall  portion  of  lime. 


AND  ITS  IFEROES. 


76 


founclly  riiw  r;i|")|X'(l  in  ,sluinl)cr ;  but,  oi^  the  lontrarw  llu-y 
\V(.Ti>  \vi(U'  a\vak(.\  and  astonislunl  the  assailaiils  with  a 
v()lk'\'  of  rilK'  balls.  .Si'wral  wtTt-  slain,  ami  the  survixors 
i-ii'anipcri'il  oil'  badly  deinoralizcd.  It  was  a  shorl,  (|iiii.k, 
and  dcfisixc  allair.  Amoni;'  llu'  slain  was  a  'i'oiy  named 
|()hn  While,  well  known  Id  Major  Mejunkii  and  who, 
in  tlu'  early  pari  ot  ihe  war,  had  deelimd  bearing  arms 
aj^ainsl  ihe  Indians,  on  ihe  irumped-up  plea  ol"  lu'lni;'  a  non- 
coinbatanl.*  Il  was  IbrlunaU-  tor  Thomas"  |iari\,  thai 
this  was  a  nii;ht  attack,  as  the  eni-my  had  no  ()p|)orlunilv 
of  discovering'  iheii  decided  sn|-)eriority  ;  and  donbtless 
ri'tired  with  llu-  beiit't"  that  the  Americans  nnist  Iuin  ■  num- 
bered sevi'ral  lumdri'd.  "I'his  eml)od\  in^  ot'  the  tViiMicb'  of 
liberlN'  in  the  l^'air  h'orest  settlement.  jirobabK-  hastened  the 
movenu'nt  ol"  I^'er^uson  to  that  quarti-r. 

When  Colonel  [''erifuson  K'tt  his  (.amii  on  I^itde  rixcr, 
he  crossed  the  ,'Onoree  at  Kelly's  Ford,  and  encampetl  in  ihc 
Fork,  at  the  plantation  of  Colonel  Jami-s  I^yles,  who  was 
lIuMi  in  service  farther  east,  with  Sumler.  John  Robison 
and  others  ot  this  re^'ion  were  |ihiiulered  b\  l'\'ri;"uson\s 
men.  The  des|ierate,  the  idle,  the  \  indicti\t.',  who  souLjht 
])lunder  or  re\eni;'e,  as  well  as  the  \(>utht'ul  Loxalists,  whost- 
zeal  or  amliition  prompted  them  to  takt-  up  ai"ms,  all  tound 
a  warm  rece]ition  at  tlu'  Hritish  camj) ;  and  their  pro^.x-ss 
ihroui^h  the  countr\-  was  "•  marki'd  with  blood,  and  K^l  W^ 
wy  with  contlan'ration."  Ir\ini;'  graphically  describes  the 
character  ot' these  Toin-  reciuits  :  *•  Feri^uson,"  says  Irving', 
"  had  a  loyal  hatred  ot"  W'hij^s,  and  to  his  staiulard  flocked 
many  i^ancorous  Tories,  beside  outlaws  and  desperadoes,  so 
that  with  all  liis  conciliating"  inliMitions.  his  proi^ress  throuifh 
the  I'ounlry  was  attended  b\-  man\-  cvxasperatini;  exci'sses." 

To  (.otMce  the  \\'hiL;s  to  submission,  a»ul  embod\-  the 
Tories,  and  ti-ain  them  t'or  war,  Ihm'^'usou  kejit  moxii.g 
about  the  country,  and  sending-  out  his  detachments  in  ex-ery 

'■Major  Mrjiinkin's  MS.  Slalcinrnt.  .unoiiK  lliu  S.iye  piipcrs;  Mr.  Sayc\  Mrinnir  i\\ 
Mcjiinkiii,  alvo  JihIkl-  O'Ncall's.  ill  tlic  Mitgnoliii  Magazine  lor  J.m,,  iS,(j;  ///.>/.  I'res'yte- 
tiiin  III.  of  So.  Caritiiiia,  5J4. 


'« 


76 


KING 'S  MO  I  WTAfN 


direction.  In  the  prosecution  ofthesi'  desiirns,  ho  miirched 
into  Union  District,  ciinpin<4  on  tlie  south  side  of 'r\^er 
ri\er,  about  iiaU"  a  n'ile  below  Hhickstock's  Ford,  where 
the  cripple  spy,  Joseph  Kerr,  made  such  observations  as  he 
could,  anil  ri'turned  with  tlie  inteUiL'-'Uce  to  Colonel  Mc- 
Dowell, that  about  lil'lecn  hunch-cd  of  the  enein\-  were 
pent'tratiui;'  the  country  ;*  and  thence  Feriruson  passed  into 
the  settlement  then  called  "The  (^j^iaker  iM'.muIow.'"  but 
since  known  as  the  Meadow  Woods.  On  Su^'ar  creek, 
a  southern  tributar\-  of"  I"'air  l^'orest  creek. +  resided  a 
number  ol"  (klermined  Whigs  named  Blasin<^anu',  oiu'  of 
whom  was  arrested.  'I'hence  Feri^uson  moved  up  into 
the  Fair  r"ort"-L  settlement,  on  the  main  cri-ek  ot'  that 
name,  campin;^  at  dilVerent  times  at  McClendon's  old  Held  ; 
then  between  \\here  J.  Mcllwaine  and  f.  II.  Kelso  since 
lived  ;  thence  to  where  Cjist  resided  a  few  years  since,  and 
thence  to  Cunninirham's.  lie  camped  a  while  at  l^'air  Forist 
Shoal,  in  I>randon"s  .St'itlrineut  :  and  subsequently  for  three 
wei'ks  on  a  hill,  on  tlu'  present  plantation  of  the  lion.  John 
WinsmiUi,  eleven  miles  south  of  Cedar  SpriiiL;,",  and  two 
south  of  Glenn's  Sprin<i,s.  During'  this  pi'riod  of  sev'eial 
weeks,  the  Tories  scon,red  all  that  region  of  country  dail\ . 
plundering  the  people  of  their  cattle,  horses,  beds,  wearing 
apparel,  bee-gums,  and  \egetables  of  all  kinds — e\en  wrest- 
ing tlu-  rings  from  the  lingers  of  the  females.  Major  Dun- 
lap  ami  Lieutenant  Taylor,  with  lort\  or  lifty  soldiers,  calk-il 
at  a  Mrs.  Thomson's,  and  taking  down  the  family  IJible 
from  its  .shelf,  ri-ad  in  it,  and  I'vpressed  great  surjirise  that 
persons  having  such  a  book,  teaching  them  to  honor  the 
King  and  obey  magistrates,  should  n-bt'l  against  ihi-ir  King 
and  country  ;  but  amid   these  expressions  of  holy    horror. 

♦Kerr's  MS.  pcrsniKil  slatununt.  cninmiinii  atrd  l)y  rnlnii.  I  J.  U.  Wliorln  ;  Uiiiilir's 
Sketches  of  Western  Xorth  Ciroliiiit,  120-21. 

f  "  What  a  fair  forest  x'^  this!"  exciaimcd  ilic  fl^^l  sctilirs.  The  Maine  attacluil  itself 
\n  the  plac  i\  anil  then  to  the  hc.hl  am  lovely  inniintain  stream,  wlui  h  sweeps  on  till  its 
waters  mingle  with  those  of  liroad  rive  ■.— Kcv.  J  imes  H.  Saye's  .Menterr  of  M,>fny  fiise/'i, 
yr  !iinl;iii.  aiul  Sketches  uf  the  l\-7;i/:itwn,t>y  Histery  ef  South  (aro/iiia.  .in  interest  »>,' 
ucwspuper  aeries  piibliblicd  over  thirty  years  ago. 


AND   ITS   UliROES. 


77 


these  oIlkcTs  sufl'ered  their  troops  to  engage  in   ransacking 
and  ]-)kni(lerin<jf  hetbre  tluir  very  eyes. 

From  what  we  have  seen,  it  is  not  wf)n(U'rrul  that  the 
Tories  were  soon  as  heartily  despised  liy  the  Ihitisli  otlicers 
as  l")y  their  own  counlrynien,  the  Whigs.  lUit  Ferguson 
was  not  tlie  man  to  I)i'  diverted  from  his  jMirpose  b^'  an}' 
aets  of  theirs  of  treaehc>ry  and  inininiaiiity.  'V\\v  crown 
had  iionors  anil  rewards  to  lii'stow,  and  his  v\v  ri'sled  upon 
them.  He  knew  that  "the  del'endi'r  of  the  faith"  generallv 
gave  much  more  casli  and  more  honors,  for  a  single  yi-ar  of 
devoted  service  in  military  enterprises,  than  for  a  lifi'-time 
spent  in  such  pursuits  as  exalt  and  ennolile  human   natmc. 

The  horses  of  Ferguson's  men  wen'  turiud  loost'  in  to  .iiiy 
lields  of  grain  that  might  he  most  conwnient.  I'^oraging 
parties  brought  in  cattle  to  cam])  for  slaught(.>r,  or  wantonh- 
shot  them  down  in  the  woods  and  left  them.  .\s  many 
Whigs  as  could  Iv  fnmd  were  apprehencK'il,  not  <'vi'n 
excepting  those  who  iiad  i-»rc\'iously  taken  protection.  A 
fe\,  had  been  pn)m|)UHl  to  take  ])rotection,  rather  than  for- 
sakt>  their  families,  trusting  therein'  to  Urilish  honor  to 
secure  them  from  molestation  ;  but  they  were  soon  hurried 
olV  to  Ninety  Si  ',  and  incarcerated  in  a  loathsome  |irison, 
when'  tliey  well  nigh  perished  for  watit  of  sustenance.  Ihit 
niost  of  those,  at  this  time,  capabU-  of  bi'aring  arms,  had 
ri'tired  to  North  Carolina,  or  were  ser\ing  in  Sumter's 
arm\' :  so  that  Ferguson  had  an  excellent  op|>ortnnity  to 
drill  his  ni'w  n,'cruits,  an*,  sujiport  his  men  by  |iillaging  the 
peopie.  Occasionally  small  parties  of  Whigs  would  \enture 
into  the  neighborhood — about  often  enough  to  ;ilTord  the 
I'nemy  good  exercise  in  pursuing  them  w  hile  within  striking 
distance.* 

vSuch  an  in\asion  as  Ferguson's,  with  its  ti'rrors  and 
aggravations,  and  the  up-rising  of  the  Tories  in  llu"  wi'stciii 
part  of  Xorth  Carolina,  under  the  Moores.  and  l>ryan.  soon 
led   to  blows,  with   all   the  sutVerings  atti'udanl  on  war  and 

*Saye's  MSS.,  aiu.  Meiiioh  '•/  Mi Jinikhi. 


!l  III!  Ill 


78 


A'/¥G'S  A/OUiYV'/l/JV 


cainau'c' 


Til 


harhai  itu's  im 


lod   out  to  the  Americans  at 


Hiilorcrs  (U'l't-at.  ,sai"fastitall\-  di'iioininatt'd  liy  tlu' Wliij^s  as 
Tdrliioii' $  i/iK/r/crSy  \v\\  naturally  Il'IuU'cI  to  t'lnbilter 
tin-  aniniositit'S  ot"  iIk'  people.  Tiie  Moores  were  signally 
(lelea'ed,  in  June,  at  Ranisour's  Mill,  and  Urxan  and  his 
tollowers  sul)se(|uently  drivi'n  iVoni  the  country. 

A  noted  partisan  ot'  (ieornia.  Colonel  JCIijah  Clarkt-.  now 
eonies  u|ion  tlu- sei'ue.  A  nali\c'  ol' Virginia,  he  earl\'  siitled 
on  the  Paeolet,  whence  he  ]-)ushed  into  Wilkes  County. 
Georgia,  where  tin-  Revolutionary  out-break  found  liiin 
lie  was  one  ot"  those  sturd}'  patriots,  well  lilted  lor  a 
leader  ot'  the  pi'ojile  —  oni'  who  woulil  scorn  to  take  protec- 
tion, or  \ield  one  iota  to  arbitrary  power.  U'hen  British 
detaclunents  wen-  sent  into  \arious  parts  oi  Georgia,  it 
became  unsafe  lor  such  unllinching  Whigs  as  Clarke  longer 
to  remain  there.  IK'  and  his  associates  resoh'cd  to  scatter 
for  a  I'l'W  days,  \isit  their  families  onci'  mori>,  and  then  rt'tirt' 
into  .South  Carolina,  wlu-re  they  hoped  to  llnd  otlu-r  heroic 
sjiirits  ready  to  co-o]ierati'  with  them  in  making  a  stand 
against  the  connnon  enemv.  .Some  small  parties  had  aln-adv 
left  ( leorgia,  and  passing  along  (he  western  frontiers  of 
South  Carolina,  had  sought  tlu'  cam]-)  of  Colont'l  CharU>s 
McDoWi'll,  who  was  then  embodying  a  forct'  on  the  south- 
western borders  of  tlu'  North  Province. 

On  tlu'  eleventh  of  July,  one  hunchx'd  anil  forty  well- 
mounted  and  w cll-iMnu'd  men  met  at  the  appointed  placi' of 
rendezvous:  and,  aftv'r  crossing  the  Saxannah  at  a  private 
ford  in  lln'  night,  llu'\'  learni'd  that  the  British  and  Loyalists 
wert'  in  force  on  their  front.  Clarke's  men  concluded  that 
it  would  be  hazardous  to  ccjntinue  their  retreat  on  that  routt' 
ith  their  present  numbers.      As  ihev  weri-  Nolunteers,  and 


w 


not  subject  to  coi'i 


I  ion.  Colonel  Clarke  was  induced  to  retur 


n 


to  Georgia,  sull'er  liis  men  to  disperse  for  a  while,  and  await 
a  nion-  favorable  opjiorlunily  to  ri'Ui'w  the  enterprise.  '^Fhe 
majority  of  the  party  returned. 

Colonel  John  Junes,  of  I3urke  County,  however,  objected 


n\ 


AX/)  J 'IS  HEROES. 


79 


to  a  ri'trotrriuU'  inoxoiiu'iil,  and  pi"()|)()si'il  lo  It-ad  tliosi'  who 
woiikl  _i;'o  willi  him,  i1ii"()iil;1i  ihr  woods  to  dir  liordcrs  ol 
North  Carohiia.  and  join  thi-  Anu>ri(.-an  loixc  in  thai  (|nailrr. 
Thirty-live  humi  uniti-il  witii  liini,  chdosinn'  liim  tor  thfir 
loadi'r,  and  Joiin  l^'ri'i'inan  loi- srcond  in  loiinnand,  |>ii'di;"- 
iny'  inijilicit  ohi'dii'iu'i-  to  tiirir  orders.     JnMijamin  Law  riMu-e, 

a    snpi'rior   woodsman,   and    wh'I!    ar- 


of    South    Carolina, 


(luamti'd   ni 


th   tl 


u'  countr\  ,  now    jonu'd    llir  com]KUi\  ,  a 


ind 


rcn 


(KM\'d   liu  m    vahiahle   servioi'   as   tiieir  miidi' 


V 


issmiT 


through    a   disalltnti'd    region,    tiioy   ach'oitly  |>almt'(l   ihom- 
schcs  oil"  as  a  Lo^'aHst  party,  eni^aged   in   the    Iving's  ser- 


vice 


md.  nnd(>r  this  liiiise.  the\-  wt>ri'  in  se\t'ral  instanci' 


rurnislied  with  pilots,  and  tliri'Cted  (Mi  tluMr  route. 

When  the\-  had  passed  the   head-wati-rs  ol"  the   Saluda, 
in   the  iiorth-eastcMTi   part  of  die   presi'iil   county  ol'  (in-eii- 


ville,  one  ol 


hese  uuuk'S  mIoinuH 


1  i: 


u'ln. 


that 


a   parly   o 


R 


I'lHMs  Had 


the  I 


ireii'ding  ni^hl,   allacked    some    Lo\ahsls 


a  short  distance  in  front,  and  deleati'd  them — douJHless  the 
IJritish  repulse  at  Cedar  Spring,  as  a!r(.>ad\'  I'l'laU-d,  and 
which  occurrei'.  some  twi>ntv-livi"  or  ihirt}'  miU's  awa\ .    [oiu-s 


I'xpri'ssed  a  wish 


to  h 


I'  conducU'd 


to  tl 


le  camp  ol   tiiose  un- 


tortiinate  Lo\aiisl  liieiids,  that  he  miiihl  aid  tluMii  in  lakinu" 


rex-eiiiie  on   those   who 


sn( 


(1    the   blood   ot"  the 


jn!""  s 


fail hful  subjects.  Alxuit  eleven  o'clock  on  ihal  night,  |ul\' 
thirteenth.  Jones  and  his  little  party  were  conducted  to  the 
Loyalist  camp,  where  sonu'  IbrtN'  men  were  collected  lo 
pursue  till-  Americans  who  had  n-treated  lo  llu>  North. 
Choosing  twenly-two  of  his  Ibllowers,  and  leaving  the  bag- 
gage and  horses  in  c-harge  of  tin-  others.  Colonel  fones 
resolvtnl  lo  surprise  the  Tory  camjK  A|>pi-oaching  llu' 
eiu'my  with  guns,  swords,  and  lu'll-pistols,  the\'  tbund  them 
in  a  state  of  s<>ir-seciirity,  and  generally  aslei'p.  '.'losing 
(juickly  around  them,  they  tired  upon  the  camp,  killing 
one  and    wounding   three,  when    ihirtv-lwo,  includiii"    the 


wouncU 


ed,  calli'd  lor  ijuarti-r,  and  surrendered.      Destroxing 
the  useless  guns,  aiul  solocting  the  best  horses,  the  Loval- 


ll'! 


80 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


:1 


ists  were  paroled  as  prisoners  of  war ;  when  tlie  pilot,  who 
did  not  disco\t'r  llu'  real  character  of  the  men  he  was 
conducting  until  loo  late  to  have  even  attempted  to  jire- 
vent  the  consecpu-nces.  was  now  required  to  guide  the 
Americans  to  ICarK's  Ford  on  North  Pacolet  river,  where  a 
junction  was  formed  the  tu'xt  day  with  Colonel  McDowell's 
forces.  As  McDowell  had  that  day  made  a  tedious  march 
with  his  thr(>e  hundred  mi>n.  they,  too.  were  in  a  fatigued 
condition. 

Within  striking  distance  of  McDowell's  camping  ground, 
soini'  Iwentv  miles  in  a  nearly  soutlu-rn  direction,  was  Prince's 
Fort,  originalK  a  place  of  neighborhood  resort  in  time  of 
danger  from  the  Indians,  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
countrv.  some  twent}-  }'ears  before.  This  fort,  now  occu- 
pied by  a  British  and  Tory  force,  under  Colonel  Innes,  was 
located  upon  a  connnanding  height  of  land,  near  the  head 
of  one  of  the  liranclu's  of  the  North  Fork  of  TALjer,  se\  I'n 
miles  n(>rth  of  west  from  the  present  village  of  Spartanburg. 
Innes,  unapprised  of  McDowell's  approach,  detached  Major 
Dunlap.  with  sevt'uty  dragoons,  accompanied  by  Colonel 
Ambrose  Mills,  with  a  part}'  of  Loyalists,  in  pursuit  of 
Jones,  of  whose  audacious  operations  he  had  just  received 
intelligence. 

McDowell's  camp  was  on  rising  ground  on  the  eastern 
side  of  tiie  North  Pacolet,  in  the  present  count}'  of  Polk, 
North  Carolina,  near  the  South  Carolina  line,  and  about 
twenty  miles  south-west  of  Rutherfordton  :  and  Dunlap 
reiiching  the  vicinity  on  the  (^pp(xsite  side  of  the  stream  dur- 
ing the  night,  and  supposing  that  Jones'  party  only  was  en- 
camped there,  commenced  crossing  the  river,  which  was 
narrow  at  that  point,  when  an  American  sentinel  fled  to  camp 
and  gave  the  first  notice  of  the  enemy's  presence.*  Dunlap, 
with  his  Dragoons  and  To'  -s.  dashed  instantlv.  with  drawn 
swords,   among  McDowell's  men,   while  but  few  of  them 

*  McCall,  in  bis  ffhl.  of  Georgia,  asserts  that  the  ■iciuiiiel  fireil  '.fis  utin,  but  James 
■I'hnMipson,  one  of  Joseph  MiDowell's  party,  states  as  in  the  ti-xt,  whii-h  seems  to  be  cor- 
rubiirated  by  the  complaint  of  Col.  Hampton,  and  the  sencral  surprise  of  the  camp. 


it 


''^ir 


i 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


81 


were  yet  roused  out  of  sleep.  The  Georgians  being  nearest 
to  the  forr!,  were  the  finst  attacked,  losing  two  killed  and  six 
wounded  ;  among  the  latter  was  Colonel  Jones,  who  received 
eight  cuts  on  his  head  rrt)m  the  enemy's  sabres.  Freeman, 
with  the  remainder,  fell  back  about  a  hundred  3ards,  where 
he  joined  Major  Singleton,  who  was  forming  his  men  behind 
a  fence;  while  Colonels  McDowell  and  Hampton  soon 
formed  the  main  body  on  Singleton's  right.  Being  thus 
rallied,  the  Americans  were  ordered  to  advance,  when  Dun- 
lap  discovering  his  mistake  as  to  their  numbers,  quickly  re- 
treated across  the  river,  which  was  fordable  in  many  places, 
and  retired  without  much  loss  ;  its  extent,  however,  was  un- 
known, be\  ond  a  single  wounded  man  who  was  left  upon 
the  ground. 

Besides  the  loss  sustained  by  the  Georgians,  six  of  Mc- 
Dowell's men  were  killed,  and  twenty-four  wounded. 
Among  the  killed  were  Noah  Iliimpton,  a  son  of  Colonel 
Hampton,  with  a  comrade  named  Andrew  Dunn  Young 
Hampton,  when  roused  from  his  slumbers,  was  asked  his 
name  ;  he  simply  replied  "  Hampton,"  one  of  a  numerous 
family  and  connection  of  Whigs,  too  well  known,  and  too 
active  in  opposition  to  British  rule,  to  meet  with  the  least 
forbearance  at  the  hands  of  enraged  Tories  ;  and  though  he 
begged  for  his  life,  they  cursed  him  for  a  Rebel,  and  ran  him 
through  with  a  bayonet.  Young  Dunn  also  suffered  the 
same  cruel  treatment.  Colonel  Hampton  felt  hard  towards 
Colonel  McDowell,  his  superior  otllcer,  as  he  wished  to 
have  placed  videttcs  beyond  the  ford,  which  McDowell 
opposed,  believing  it  entirely  unnecessary.  Had  this  been 
done,  due  notice  would  in  all  probability  have  bc^n  given, 
and  most  of  the  loss  and  saflerin<r  have  been  averted.* 


*  McCall's  Hist,  of  Georgia,  ii.  308-ic:  S.iye's  MSS. ;  MS.  pension  statements  of  Gen- 
er.il  Thumas  Kennedy,  of  Kentucky,  Rooert  Henderson,  and  Robert  McDowell ;  Moore's 
/'/itr(' ()/■//«' A'<'7v'/«i'/o«,  ii,  351,  gives  the  date  of  the  I  acolet  fight  as  occnrring  "in  the 
night  of  July  fifteenth,"  and  this  on  the  authority  of  Govennr  Rutledge,  who  was  then  at 
Charlotte.  Judging  from  Allaire's  Diary  it  must  have  been  the  night  before.  The  par- 
ticulars of  the  killing  uf  young  H;iinpton  and  Dunn  are  derived  from  the  MS.  communi- 
cations of  Adam,  Jonaihau,  and  James  J.  Hampton,  grandsons  of  Colonel  Hampton, 


1  ^^Bi 

'   \  '■ 

!■ 

X 

>^^n 

liL 

1. 

82 


A'/.VC;\S  M0L'X7'.l/N 


Till'  ivason.  pivsumablx  ,  uliy  Colonel  McDowell  was 
over-coniick'iu  of  security  was.  that  he  liad.  the  day  before, 
detaclu'd  his  brother.  Major  Joseph  McDowi'il,  with  a  parl\- 
to  <ro  on  a  scout,  and  ascertain,  it' possible,  where  tlu*  Tories 
lay  ;  but  taking  a  wrong  din-ction.  he  had  consi'quentlv 
made  no  discovery.*  Not  returning.  Colonel  McDowell 
very  naturally  concluded  that  liiere  was  no  portion  ot"  the 
enemy  ver)-  near,  and  that  he  and  his  weary  men  could, 
with  reason. d)K'  assurance  of  safety,  take  some  needed 
rejjose.  It  was  that  very  night,  while  Major  McDowell 
was  blundering  on  the  wrong  route,  that  Dunlap  was  able 
to  advance  undiscovered,  and  make  his  sudden  attack. 

Before  sunrise  the  ensuing  morning,  liftytwo  of  the 
most  active  men.  including  Freeman  and  fourti-en  of  his 
l)arty.  mounted  upon  the  best  horses  in  the  camp,  were 
ordered  to  pursue  the  retreating  foe.  under  tlu'  command 
of  Captain  Edward  Hampton.  After  a  rapiil  pursuit  of  two 
hours,  they  overtook  the  enemy,  fifteen  miles  awav  :  and 
making  a  sudden  an<l  unexpected  attack,  completely  routed 
them,  killing  eight  of  them  at  the  lirst  Ih-e.  Unable  to  ralh 
his  demoralized  men,  who  had  been  taken  unawares.  Dun- 
lap  made  a  precijiitate,  helter-skelter  retreat  towards  Fort 
Prince,  during  which  several  of  his  soldiers  were  killed  and 
woundi'd.  The  pursuit  was  continued  within  three  hundred 
yards  of  the  British  tort,  in  which  three  hundred  men  were 
securelv  posted.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Hamp- 
ton and  his  men  retinmed  to  McDowell's  camp,  with  thirty- 
five  good  horses,  dragoon  equipage,  and  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  enemy's  baggage,  as  the  trophies  of  \ictory, 
and  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  It  was  a  bold  and 
successful  adventure,  worthy  of  the  heroic  leader  and  his 
intrepid  followers. 

It  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  three  successive  night 
fiffhts    should   have    occurred    within   a  few  miles  of  each 


*  Statement  of  Captain  Janie-.  ThiiTnpsnn.  cf  Madison   t^ounty,  Gcurgia,  unu  of  Major 
McDowelTs  party,  preserved  anions  the  Sayc  MSS. 


..1. 

'!«<: 


f'M 


AND  ITS  IfEROES. 


83 


otluT,  ami  tlu>  two  latter  as  military  sec|uences  of  the  former. 
First,  the  Tory  attack  on  Colonel  Thomas,  at  Cellar  Spring, 
on  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  of  July  ;  then  Colonel  Jones' 
surprise  of  the  remnant  ot"  this  Loyalist  party,  on  the  night 
of  llie  tburteenth  :  antl  fnially,  the  attack  of  Dunlap  and 
Mills,  in  retaliation,  on  Colonel  .McDowell's  camp,  at 
Earle'vS  Ford  of  North  Facijlet,  on  the  night  of  the  lifteenth. 
And  in  all  three  of  these  atfairs,  the  Tories  got  the  worst 
of  it. 


i  \ 


McCaU's  Georgia,  ii,  312-13;  and  MS.  pensimi  statement  of  Jesse  Nevillt;,  one  of 
Hampton's  parly.  It  may  not  lie  inappr(i|iriaie,  in  this  connection,  to  ailil  a  few  words 
relative  to  the  liero  of  lliis  conrageiuis  exploit.  Captain  Hampton  was  a  brother  of  I'olonels 
Waile.  Richard,  and  Henry  ll.inipton.  of  Snmter's  army.  He  was  a  very  active  partisan, 
and  reputed  one  of  the  hest  horsemen  of  his  lime.  In  May.  1775.  with  his  hrotlier,  I'reston 
Hainjiton,  he  was  delegated  hy  ihe  people  of  the  frontiers  <if  South  Carolina  to  visit  the 
Cherokecs.  and  see  if  liy  a  siiitahle  "talk,"  they  could  not  he  made  to  comprehend  the 
causes  of  the  growing  dilTirences  hetween  the  Colonies  and  the  mother  country.  They 
met  with  a  rude  reception.  Cameron  and  Ihe  British  emissaries  instigating  the  Indians  to 
oppose  their  views;  and  Cameron  made  them  prisoners,  giving  their  hirses,  a  gun,  a  case 
of  pistols  and  holsters,  to  the  Indians.     Hy  some  means,  they  escaped  with  their  lives. 

The  following  year.  1776.  while  Edward  Hampton  was,  with  his  wife,  on  a  visit  to  her 
father,  liaylis  Earle.  on  North  Pacolet,  the  Cherokecs  made  an  incursion  into  the  valleys 
of  Tyger,  massai  ring  I'reston  Haini)ton.  his  aged  parents,  and  a  young  grandchild  of 
theirs.  Edward  Hamplon  served  on  Williamson's  expedilion  again»t  the  C'herokees.  in  the 
summer  and  autumn  of  that  year  ;  and  though  only  a  Lieutenant,  he  had  the  command  of 
his  ( iinipany.  and  ihstingtiished  himself  in  a  battle  with  the  enemv,  receiving  the  special 
thanks  of  his  General  for  his  bravery  ;iml  gnr  d  conduct  on  the  occasion. 

After  the  destruction  of  the  Hampton  family,  on  the  Middle  Fork  of  Tyger.  where  he 
resided,  he  seems  to  have  made  his  home  for  a  season  on  a  plantation  he  possessed  at 
Karle's  Ford,  where  his  father-in-law.  Mr.  Earle,  resided.  That  he  was  the  Captain 
ll.unpton  who  led  the  dashing  foray  against  Dunlap  on  his  retreat  to  Prince's  Fort,  is  par- 
tially corroborated  by  Dr.  Howe,  in  his  History  0/  the  Preslyterinn  Church  in  South 
Carolina,  p,  542,  though  erroneous  as  to  the  place  of  the  occurrence;  but  Jesse  Neville's 
pension  statement  renders  the  matter  conclusive,  supplying  the  first  name  of  his  Captain, 
which  McCal!  fails  to  give  in  his  details  of  that  affair. 

Captain  Hampton  was  killed  tlie  ensuing  October,  at  or  near  Fair  Forest  creek,  in  the 
bosom  of  his  family,  by  P.ill  Cunningh.im's  notoiioiis  "Dloody  S-oiit,"  He  was  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  in  his  death  his  country  lost  a  bold  cavalier.  He  was  the  idol  of  his 
family  and  friends.  His  ilescendants  in  Georgia.  Mississippi,  and  Texas,  are  among  the 
worthiest  of  people.  I'aylis  F.arle  became  one  of  the  early  judges  of  Spartanburg  District, 
and  was  living  in  1826.  in  his  eighty-ninth  year — MS.  statement  of  Colonel  John  Carter, 
Watauga,  May  30th.  1775:  MS.  letter  of  Colonel  Elijah  Clarke  to  General  Sumter,  October 
.■9th.  1780;  Governor  Perry's  sketch  of  the  Haiiif>ton  I'amily,  in  the  Afagnolia  Magazine, 
June,  1843,  with  a  continualion,  which  appeared  in  the  Smith  Carolina  papers,  in  1843, 
written  by  Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  Sr.,  father  of  the  present  Senator  Hampton,  of  that 
.State. 


iMi:; 


i| 


84 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


CHAPTER    V. 


ill 


III 


^'"1!! 


t780— July     August. 


McDowt'll  scuds  for  the  07'ti-Mi>uittaiit  Men. —  Clarkf  joins  /liiii,  and 
pushes  on  to  Stinifrr's  Camp. —  Capture  and  Escape  of  Captain 
Patrick  Moore. — Moore's  Plunderers.— Story  of  Jane  Mcfunkin 
and  Pill  IlaynesiLiorth. — .Shclliy  and  tlie  Mountaineers  arrii'c  at 
McDouuirs  Canip.—  Capture  of  Tliicketty  J-'ort. — Expedition  to 
Brown's  Creek  and  luiir  l-'orest. — Eiii/it  at  the  Peach  Orchard,  near 
Cedar  Sprint^;  and  Wojford's  Iron  Works,  ami  its  incidents. — 
.Saye's  Account  of  the  .Iction. — British  Report. —  Contradictory 
Statements  concerning  the  Conjiict. 

WIk'H  ColoiK'l  McDowell  bucanir  lonvinci'cl  that  Fer- 
guson's movement  to  the  north-western  portion  of  South 
Carolina,  ihrt-atc^ned  tlie  imasion  of  tlie  North  Province 
also,  he  not  only  promptly  raised  what  force  he  could  from 
the  sparsely  pojiulatcd  settlements,  on  the  heads  of  Catawba, 
Broad  and  Pacolet  rivers,  to  take  post  in  the  enem3'\s  front 
and  watch  his  operations  ;  but  dispatched  a  messenger  with 
this  alarming  intelligence  to  Colonels  John  Sevier  and  Isaac 
Shelby,  on  Watauga  and  Ilolston,  those  over-mountain 
regions,  then  a  portion  of  North  Carolina,  but  now  of  East 
Ti'unessee :  urging  those  noted  border  leaders  to  bring  to 
his  aid  all  the  riflemen  they  could,  and  as  soon  as  possible. 
Sevier,  unable  to  leave  his  trontier  exposed  to  the  inroads 
of  the  Cherokees,  responded  at  once  to  the  appeal,  by  send- 
ing a  part  of  his  regiment  under  Major  Charles  Robertson  ; 
and  Shelby,  being  more  remote,  and  having  been  absent  on 
a  surveying  tour,  was  a  few  days  later,  but  joined  McDow- 
ell, at  the  head  of  two  hundred  mounted  riflemen,  about  the 
twenty-fifth  of  July,  at  his  camp  near  the  Cherokee  Ford 
of  Broad  river. 


Iiawili:!  •!! 


AND  ITS  JlEKOr.S. 


Sf) 


Colonel  Clarkc>  did  not  long  ivmain  in  Georjjia.  While 
then;,  \\v  and  his  associatt's  were  necessarily  compelled  to 
secrete  themselves  in  the  woods,  privately  supplied  with  food 
bv  their  friends.  This  mode  of  life  was  irksome,  and  soon 
ht'caiiu'  almost  insiipportahli',  without  the  least  prosjiect  of 
aeeomplishiui;"  anylliinj4"  beneticial  to  the  pul)lic.  The  retji- 
ment  was  re-assem'oletl,  in  auifuu'iited  numln'rs,  when,  by 
a  general  desire,  Colonel  Clark*.'  leil  tiiem  alon<^  the  eastern 
slope  ol'  the  mountains,  directinij  their  course  towards 
North  Carolina,  wlu-ri'  tlH>y  could  unite  with  others,  and 
render  their  services  uset'ul  to  their  country.  Without  mis- 
hap or  ad\t'nture.  thev  were  joined  b\'  Coloni'l  Jones,  as 
they  neared  the  rei,non  where  tluw  expt-cted  to  thid  friends  in 
the  field.  Clarke  was  soon  after  joined  by  the  brave  Ca|i- 
tain  James  McCall.  with  a])oul  twenl\  men,  iVom  the  region 
of  Ninety  Six.  T'or  want  of  confidence  in  Ccjlonel  Mc- 
Dowell's actixity,  or  from  some  otlu-r  cause,  Clarke  pushed 
on,  and  joinetl  Sumter  on  or  near  the  Catawba. 

The  story  of  the  captivity  of  Captain  Patrick  Moore,  a 
noted  Loyalist,  now  claims  our  attention.  lie  had  probably 
escaju'd  from  liu>  slaughter  at  Ramsour's  Mill,  on  the 
twentieth  of  June,  when  his  lirother.  Colonel  John  Moore 
safel)'  retired  to  Camden.  Anxious  lor  the  capture  of  Cap-  ,, 
tain  Moore,  Major  Jose])h  Dickson  and  Captain  Wittk«o-tAtA«-^ 
Johnston  were  sent  out,  in  the  fore  part  of  J  'y,  with  a 
party  to  apprehend  this  noted  Tory  leader,  and  others  of 
his  ilk,  if  thi'y  couhl  be  founil.  "^riie  veteran  Captain 
Samuel  Martin,  who  had  ser\ed  in  tlie  old  Fn^nch  and 
Indian  war,  was  one  of  the  partv.  On  Lawson's  Fork,  of 
Pacolet  river,  near  the  Old  Iron  Works,  since  Bivingsville, 
and  now  known  as  Glendale.*  the  parties  met.  and  a 
skirmish  ensued,  in  which  Captain  Johnston  and  the  Tory 
leader  had  a  personal    rencontre.     Moore  was   at  length 


*Glenclali!  is  Incited  on  the  Southern  side  of  Lawson's  Fork,  while  the  Old  Iron  Works 
were  on  the  same  hank,  fully  half  a  mile  above,  where  tlie  old  road  once  crossed  the  stream. 
"  These  Works.'says  Mills,  in  iSl'6  "  were  burnt  by  the  Tories,  and  never  rebuilt.  " 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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86 


KING 'S  MO  UNTA  FN 


overpowered  and  captured  ;  but  in  the  desperate  contest, 
Johnston  received  several  sword  wounds  on  his  head,  and 
on  the  thumb  ot'his  riglit  liand.  While  bearing  his  prisoner 
towards  the  Wliig  lines,  a  slioit  distance  away,  he  was  rap- 
idly approached  by  several  British  troopers.  Qiiickh- 
attempting  to  lire  his  loaded  musket  at  his  pursuers,  it  unfor- 
tunatel}'^  missed,  in  consequence  of  the  blood  flowing  from 
his  wounded  thumb,  and  wetting  his  priming.  This  mis- 
fortune on  his  part  enabled  his  prisoner  to  escape  ;  and, 
perceiving  his  own  dangerous  and  defenceless  condition,  he 
promptly  availed  himself  of  a  friendly  thicket  at  his  side, 
eluded  his  pursuers,  and  shortly  after  joined  his  command.* 

At  this  time,  or  soon  after,  Moore  had  command  of  Fort 
Anderson,  or  Thicketty  Fort,  as  it  was  more  generally 
called,  situated  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  Goucher  Creek, 
and  two  and  a  half  miles  above  the  mouth  of  this  small 
water-coiu'se,  which  empties  into  Thicketty  Creek,  a  west- 
ern tributary  of  Broad  river,  uniting  with  that  stream  a  lew 
miles  above  its  junction  widi  Pacolet.  It  was  a  strong  for- 
tress, built  a  few  years  before  for  defence  against  the  Chero- 
kees,  and  wao  surrounded  by  a  strong  abatis,  well  litted  for 
a  vigorous  defence.  It  became  a  great  place  of  resort  and 
protection  for  Tory  parties.  They  would  sally  forth  from 
Thicketty  Fort,  and  plunder  Whig  families  in  every  direc- 
tion— so  that  women  and  children  were  often  left  without 
clothing,  shoes,  bread,  meat,  or  salt. 

In  the  absence  of  Captain  Nathaniel  Jeffries,  of  that 
region,  one  of  these  phmdering  parties  \isited  his  house, 
appropriated  such  articles  as  thev  chose,  built  a  tire  on  the 
floor,  abused  Mrs.  JeflVies  as  the  meanest  of  all  Rc'bels, 
and  drove  off  the  horses  and  cattle.  On  another  occasion, 
the  house  of  Samuel  Mcjunkin.  in  Union  District,  a 
warm  patriot,  but  too  oUl  for  active  military  service,  was 
visited  by  a  p;irty  under  Patrick   Moore.     Thev  stayed  all 


♦Hunter's  Sketches  rf  ll',s/,-rii  Xoit/t   Cdrolhin.  24-';  .MS.   I'cnsidii  SlatcniLiu  uf  Cap- 
tain Samuel  Martin. 


AND  ITS  If/'. ROES. 


87 


night ;  and,  when  about  to  cU'part,  stripped  the  family  of 
Ix'd-clotliL's  and  wearing  apparel.  A  noted  Tory,  Jiill 
Ilaynesworth,  seized  a  bed-quilt,  and  placed  it  upon  his 
horse,  when  iMcJunkin's  sturdy  daughter,  Jane,  snatched  it, 
and  a  struggle  ensued  for  the  possession.  The  soldiers 
anuised  themselves  by  exclaiming — "  Well  done,  woman  !" 
— "Well  done.  Bill !  "  For  once  Moore's  gallantry  predomi- 
nated over  his  loveof  plunder  ;  and  he  swore  roundly  if  Jane 
could  take  the  quilt  from  Ilaynesworth,  she  should  have  it. 
Presently  in  the  fierce  contest,  Bill's  feet  came  in  contact 
with  some  dirt\-  slime  in  the  yard,  and  slipped  from  under 
him,  and  he  lay  prostrate  and  panting  on  the  ground. 
Jane,  quick  as  thought,  placed  one  foot  upon  his  breast,  and 
wresting  the  quilt  from  his  grasp,  retired  in  triumph,  while 
poor  Bill  sneaked  otT  defeated  and  crest-fallen.  This  brave 
woman  was  the  sister  of  Major  Mcjunkin. 

Nor  was  Miss  Nanc\^  Jackson,  who  lived  in  the  Irish 
Settlement,  near  Fair  Forest  creek,  less  demonstrative  in 
defence  of  her  rights  ;  for  she  kicked  a  Toiy  down  the 
stairs  as  he  was  descending,,  loaded  with  plunder.  In  his 
rage,  he  tlu-eatened  to  send  the  Hessian  troops  there  the 
next  day.  which  obliged  the  heroic  girl  to  take  refuge  with 
an  acquaintance  several  miles  distant.* 

The  intrepid  Sumter,  hearing  of  Ferguson's  inroads 
beyond  Broad  river,  directed  Colonel  Clarke  and  his 
Georgians,  together  with  such  persons  in  his  camp  as 
resided  in  that  region,  and  dt'sired  to  aid  in  its  protection, 
to  repair  to  that  quarter.  Captain  William  Smith,  of 
Spartanl)urg.  and  his  com]iany.  availed  them.selves  of  this 
privilege.  Arriving  at  llie  Cherokee  Ford,  they  mef.  Colo- 
nel McDowell,  when  Colonel  Shelby,  together  with  Colonel 
Clarke,  Colonel  Andrew  Hampton  and  Major  Charles 
Robertson,  of  Sevier's  regiment,  were  detached  with  six 
hundred    men,    to   surprise    Thicketty    Fort,    some    twenty 

•MS.  S.-,ye  papers;  S^.ycs  Memoir  of  M,J„nkh,  ^   Mr.,.  Kllcl  ^  H\n„en  of  the  Kevolu- 
lion,  1  .ii>a. 


■ 


■5     J 


88 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


miles  distant.  They  took  up  the  line  ol  marcla  at  sunset, 
and  surrounded  the  post  at  day -break  tlie  next  morning. 
Colonel  Shelby  sent  in  Captain  William  Cocke,  a  volun- 
teer— in  after  years,  a  United  States  Senator  from  Ten- 
nessee— to  make  a  peremptory  demand  for  the  surrender 
of  the  garrison  ;  to  which  Moore  replied  that  he  would 
defend  the  place  to  the  last  extremity.  Shelby  then 
drew  in  his  lines  to  within  musket  shot  of  the  enemy  all 
around,    with    a    full    determination    to   make   an    assault. 

Shelby's  gallant  '*  six  hundred  "  made  so  formidable  an 
appearance,  that  on  a  second  message,  accomjianied,  we 
may  well  suppose,  with  words  of  intimidation.  Moore,  per- 
haps fearing  another  Rambour's  Mill  onslaught,  relented, 
and  proposed  to  surrender,  on  condition  that  the  garrison  be 
paroled  not  to  serve  again  during  the  war,  imless  exchanged, 
which  was  acceded  to — the  more  readily,  as  the  xVmeri- 
cans  did  not  care  to  be  encumbered  with  prisoners.  Thus 
ninety-three  Loyalists,  with  one  British  Sergcant-^^aior, 
stationed  there  to  discipline  them,  surrendered  themselves 
without  firing  a  gun  ;  and  among  the  trophies  of  \ictory 
were  two  hundred  and  fifty*  stand  of  arms,  all  loaded  with 
ball  and  buck-shot,  and  so  arranged  at  the  port-holes,  with 
their  abundant  supplies,  that  they  could,  had  a  Ferguson,  '' 
Dunlap,  or  a  De  Peyster  been  at  their  head,  have  resisted 
double  the  number  of  their  assailants. f 

Among  the  spoils  taken  at  King's  Mountain,  was  th-* 
fragment  of  a  letter,  without  date  or  signature — probably  a 

*This  is  Shelby's  stntcmcnt ;  the  MS.  Cocke  papers  s.iy  "one  hiiinirecl  anj  fifty  stand 
of  arms  were  taken." 

tThe  leading  f.uts  relative  to  the  capture  of  Thickctty  Fcrt  are  taken  from  Haywood's 
History  of  Tentuss,','.  64;  Ramsey's  Annals  0/  Vfiiiirssi-e,  214;  Memoir  of  Sh'.lhy,  in 
X,xli\>nnl  Portrait  Galhry.  written  by  Colonel  Charles  S  Todd  Shelby's  s'.n  inlaw,  .tnd 
which  appeared,  revised,  in  the  Wcsinn  Monthly  Magizine.  in  i8j6;  Urea/cales  Lift  as 
it  Is.  50— all  which  statements  closely  folKiw  a  MS,  acconnt  written  by  Shelby  himself;  MS. 
5t,itcment,  preserved  among  the  Save  papers  of  John  Jeffrie-,  son  of  the  phiiidered  woman 
mentioned  in  the  narrative;  MS  papers  of  Hon,  William  C'orke  fnrnish  the  name  of  the 
fort;  MS.  pension  statements  of  Willi  im  Smith,  of  Lincoln  conniy.  Tennessee.  .Alex.  Mc- 
Fadden,  of  Knthcrford  county.  North  Carolina,  and  John  Clark,  of  W,ishingloii  county, 
Tennessee,  corrob  iraling,  ii  .1  general  way,  the  facts  of  the  capture;  nnd  in  a  personal 
interview  with  Silas  Mcllee.  of  Pontotoc  county.  Mississippi,  in  1842.  he  confirmed  Shelby's 
statement  that  ninety-four  was  the  number  of  Moore's  party  captured.  Mcllee  hvedon 
Thickettv  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  .Moore  and  his  men. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


89 


copy  of  a  dispiitcli  from  I"\'rgi'.s(>n  to  Lord  Cornwallis — in 
which  this  account  is  given  of  Thicketty  Fort,  Moore,  antl 
his  surrender  of  the  phice  :  "  It  had  an  upper  Hue  of"  hiop- 
holes,  and  was  surrounded  In'  a  very  strouL;;  abatis,  witli 
only  a  small  wicket  to  enter  by.  It  had  been  put  in  thor- 
ough repair  at  the  request  of  the  j^arrison,  which  consisted 
of  neighborin:^  militia  tiiat  had  come  to  [tlie  fort]  :  and  was 
defended  bv  eighty  men  against  two  or  threi-  lunulred  ban- 
ditti without  cannon,  and  each  man  was  of  opinion  that  it 
was  impossible  [for  the  Rebels  to  take  it.  1  The  ollicer  next 
in  command,  and  all  the  others,  gave  their  opinion  for  de- 
fending it.  and  agree  in  their  account  that  Patrick  Moore, 
after  proposing  a  surrender,  accpiiesced  in  their  opinion,  and 
offered  to  iro  and  siiinifv  as  mucli  to  the  Ri>bels.  but  re- 
turned  with  some  Rebel  odlcers,  whom  he  put  in  possession 
of  the  gate  and  place,  who  were  instantly  followed  by  their 
men,  and  the  fort  full  of  Rebels,  to  the  surprise  of  the  gar- 
rison,    lie  plead  cowardice,  I  understand.!" 

The  capture  of  Thicketty  Fort  occurri'd  on  Sunday,  the 
thirtieth  of  July,  as  the  connecting  circumstances  indicate, 
and  Lieutenant  Allaire's  Diary  proves.  Shelby  and  his 
miMi.  loat'ed  with  the  spoils  of  \  ictory.  returned  at  once  to 
McDowelTs  camji  near  the  Cherokee  Ford. 

McDowell's  force  at  this  time  could  not  have  exceeded  a 
thousand  men,  whik'  Ferguson's  nuisl  have  reached  lifteen  to 
cigliteen  hundred.  It  was,  therefore,  the  policy  of  the  Ameri- 
cans to  maintain  their  position  near  Cherokee  Ford,  guard 
against  surprise,  and  harass  their  adversaries,  until  they 
should  be  able,  with  augmented  numbers,  to  expel  them 
from  the  country.  Shortly  after  the  Thicketty  expedition, 
Colonel  McDowell  again  detached  Colonels  Shelbv.  and 
Clarke,  with  Colonel  William  Graham,  with  ;'  combined 
force  of  six  hundred  momit(>d  men.  to  watch  the  movements 
of  Ferguson's  troojis.  aiul  w  tu'ne\er  jiossible.  to  cut  otf  his 
foraging  parties.     They  directed  their  course  down  Broad 

f  Ramsey's  Tt'fnwssei',  215. 


^:-'- 


90 


KING'S  MOUNT  ATM 


rive."  some  twenty-live  miles  to  Urown's  creek,  in  now 
Union  county,  where  it  was  agret'd  lluy  should  assemble, 
and  which  was  a  better  situation  tiuin  die  Cherokee  Ford, 
to  observe  the  operations  of  the  British  and  Tories.  But 
when  only  a  lew  of  the  parties  faii'v  began  to  collect  at 
that  point,  a  superior  force  of  the  enemy  torced  them  to 
retire,  when  they  bore  olF  some  thirt}-  or  forty  miles  to  the 
ujiper  portion  of  the  Fair  Forest  settlement,  within  the 
present  limits  of  Spartanburg".  On  the  way,  they  seem  to 
have  gptten  their  force  together.  By  watching  their  op- 
portunity, the}'  hoptul  to  gain  some  decided  advantage 
over  their  oppt)nents,  whom  they  well  knew  the}-  would 
encounter  in  large  numbers  in  that  quarter.  Hearing 
of  these  bold  Rebel  troopers,  Ferguson  uuule  several  in- 
effectual attempts  to  siu-prise  them.  But  our  frontier  heroes 
were  too  watchful  to  be  caugiil  napping.  Clarke  and 
Shelly-,  with  their  men.  were  constantly  on  the  alert — hav- 
ing no  lixed  camp,  so  that  they  were  dillicult  to  lind. 

On  tl  J  evening  of  August  seventh',  Clarke  and  vShelby, 
with  then-  troops,  stopped  tor  refreshnn-ul — and,  if  not  dis- 
turbed, for  a  night's  repose — on  Fair  Forest  creek,  nearly 
two  miles  west  of  Cedar  Spring,  at  a  point  where  the  old 
road  crossed  that  stream,  leading  .hence  to  Wollbrd's  Iron 
Works,  and  thence  onward  to  the  Cherokee  Ford.  Several 
trusty  scouts  were  sent  out  to  make  discoveries,  who  re- 
turned before  day  the  next  morning,  with  the  intelligence 
that  the  enemy  were  within  half  a  mile  of  them.  About 
the  same  moment,  the  report  of  a  gun  was  heard,  in  the 
direction  of  the  liritish  party,  which  was  afterward  ascer- 
tained to  have  been  fu'ed  by  one  of  Dunlap's  men — one  who 
telt  some  compunctions  of  conscience  at  the  idea  of  surpris- 
ing and  massacring  his  countrymen,  but  who.  protesting 
that  it  was  accidental,  was  not  suspected  of  treachery. 
The  Americans,  from  prudential  motives,  retreated  toward 
the  old  Iron  Works,  on  Lawson's  Fork  of  Pacolet,  leaving 
Cedar  Spring  apparently  a  mile   to  the   right :  and   taking 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


91 


position  not  very  far  from  tlio  old  orcliard  on  the  Thompson 
place,  which  was  some  three  or  four  miles  from  the  ford  over 
Fair  Forest,  and  something  like  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
Iron  Works,  and  about  a  mile  from   Cedar  Spring.     1  lere 


@  SPARTANBURG 

W 


PLAT  OF  REGION  NEAR  CKDAR  SPRING. 

A— Thomp';on's  Plare  nnti  Pc:n-li  Orchard.  R —Where  one  part  of  the  hattle  is  said 
tn  have  hoeii  fn\iglit.  C — Ohl  Iron  Works,  D — Gleiulale  or  niviiigsville.  E— Peach  Tree 
Grave.     K — Pacolct  Hill.     G — Cedar  Spring. 

suitable  ground  was  chosen,  and  the  men  formed  for  battle, 
when  the  spies  came  running  in  with  the  information  that 
the  enemy's  horse  were  almost  in  sight.  Before  their  re- 
tirement from  their  former  temporary  camp  at  Fair  Forest, 
Josiah  Culbertson,  one  of  the  bravest  of  young  men.  who 
had  recenUy  joined  Shelby,  had  obtained  permission  to 
return  home,  two  or  three  miles  distant  on  Fair  Forest, 
spend  the  night,  and  make  such  observations  as  he  might, 
of  an\'  enem\'  in  that  quarter.  About  da^-light  the  next 
morning,  he  rode  fearlessly  into  the  encampment  he  had 
lelt  the  evening  before,  supposing  it  still  to  be   occupied 


02 


K/NG'S  MOUNTAIN 


HI 


m 


ii 


In  !iis  Anicrican  friciuls.  iiol  knowing"  that  thc}'  had  dc- 
cumpi'd.  and  Diinlap  had  just  taki-ii  posst'ssion  of  it.  Hul 
Cull^iTtson  was  c{(ual  to  tlic  oiiu  igoncy,  for,  st'i'inif  cvcry- 
iWnv^  so  ditlrri'tit  from  what  it  was  tht-  prrvious  t-vi'tiinj^,  he 
was  ([iiick  to  (HscoNcr  his  mistake  :  and  with  i-xtraorcUnarv 
coolness  and  presence  of  mind,  hi'  rock'  \erv  leisureh'  out 
of  the  encampment,  with  his  trusty  rilk-  resting  on  the  pom- 
mel of  his  saddle  before  him.  As  lie  passed  ak)niL;'.  he  ol)- 
ser\ed  the  drairoons  jiettin*'-  ihi-ir  horses  in  readiness,  and 
makin<r  other  preparations  indicating  an  immediate  renewal 
of  their  line  of  march.  No  particular  notice  was  taken  of 
him  in  the  British  camp,  as  it  was  supposed  that  he  was  one 
of  their  own  men,  who  had  L,^ot  ready  for  the  onward  m()V(>- 
ment  before  his  fellows.  But  when  out  of  sii;ht,  lu'  ilaslied 
oir  with  good  speed  in  the  direction  he  inferred  that  Clarke 
and  Shelby  had  gon(\  and  soon  overtook  his  friends,  and 
found  they  had  chosen  their  ground,  and  were  prepared  for 
the  onslaught. 

Major  Dunlap  was  an  ofllcer  of  much  energy  and 
promptitude,  and  soon  n^ade  his  appearance,  with  a  strong 
force,  part  Colonial  dragoons  and  part  mounted  militia, 
and  commenced  the  conilict.  The  Whigs  were  as  eag(M- 
for  the  fray  as  the  over-confident  Britons.  The  action 
lasted  half  an  hour,  and  was  severely  contested.  Dun- 
lap's  mounted  volunteer  ritlemen,  it  is  said,  who  were  in 
front,  recoiled,  giving  back  at  the  very  first  fire  of  their  op- 
ponents, and  their  commander  found  it  difilcult  to  rally 
them.  1  laving  at  length  succeeded,  he  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  his  dragoons,  and  led  them  on  to  renew  the 
contest,  followed  by  the  mounted  rifiemen,  who  were,  how- 
ever, averse  to  coming  into  ^ery  close  quarters.  Dunlap's 
dragoons,  with  their  broad-swords,  played  a  prominent  part 
in  the  action  ;  and  from  the  disproportion  of  Tories  killed 
over  the  dragoons,  according  to  the  British  account,  which 
is  doubtful,  it  would  appear  that  Clarke  and  Shelby's  rifle- 
men must  have  been  busy  in  picking  them  oil'.     During  the^ 


%M 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


93 


mi'ntioned  the  circunibtancL!  of  liis  Cfiisinjjf,  in  the  midst  of 
tlae  hattle,  to  witness,  with  astoiiislimeiit  and  admiration,  the 
remarkable  and  unequal  struggle  Clarke  was  maintaining 
with  his  foes.  In  the  fierce  hand-to-hand  contest,  he  re- 
ceived two  sabre  wounds,  one  on  the  back  of  his  neck,  and 
the  other  on  his  head — his  stock-buckle  saving  his  life  ;  and 
he  was  even,  for  a  few  minutes,  a  prisoner,  in  charge  of  two 
stout  IJrilons  ;  but,  taking  advantage  of  his  strength  and 
activit}-,  he  knocked  one  of  lliem  down,  when  the  other 
quickly  lied  out  of  the  reach  of  this  famous  back-woods 
Titan.  Clarke  was  every  inch  a  hero,  and  was  indebted 
to  his  own  good  paick  and  prowess  for  his  escape  from  his 
enemies,  with  only  sliglit  wounds,  and  the  loss  of  his  hat,  in 
the  iiiiidc* 

Culbertson,  with  his  characteristic  daring,  had  a  personal 
adventure  worthy  of  notice.  Meeting  a  dragoon,  some 
distance  from  support,  who  imperiously  demanded  his  sur- 
render, the  intrepid  American  replied  by  whijiping  his  rifle 
to  his  shoulder  and  felling  the  haughty  Ih'iton  from  his 
horse.  When  the  dead  were  buried  the  next  day,  this 
dragoon  was  thrown  into  a  hole  near  where  he  lay,  and 
covered  with  earth,  lie  happened  to  have  at  the  time  some 
peaches  in  his  pocket,  from  which  a  peach  tree  grew,  and 
for  many  years  after,  bore  successive  crops  of  Iruit.  The 
grave  is  yet  pointed  out,  but  the  peach  tree  has  long  since 
disappeared.  A  worthy  person  m  that  region  receiul\-  died 
ni'arly  a  hundred  years  of  age,  who  used  to  relate  that  he 
had,  in  early  life,  eaten  tVuit  trom  that  tree.f  The  graves  of 
some  twenty  or  thirty  others,  who  tell  in  this  engagement, 
says  Governor  Perry,  were  yet  to  be  seen  as  late  as   1842. 


*  McCall  miMitinns  that  ("nloiiel  CInrku  and  his  son  were  wounded  boili  at  WcifTord's 
lri>n  Works  and  at  Miisgrove  s.  giving  the  particidars  as  occniriiig  at  the  hitler;  while 
Shelby  notices  their  Slaving  been  wounded  only  at  the  former,  instancing  his  heroic  ren- 
contre there  ;  and  an  eye-witness.  William  Smith,  of  Tennessee,  relates  that  Clarke  received 
a  sword  wound  in  the  neck,  and  lost  his  hat  near  WofTord's,  returning  to  McDowell's  camp 
bare-headed. 

fMS,  letters  of  N.  F.  Walker,  Esq.,  of  Cedar  Sprinjj,  June  15th  and  July  7th,  1880. 


94 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


It  is  qiu'stionab'i'.  liowevcr,  il'so  tiumy,  on  both  sides,  were 
killed  ill  \\\v  action.* 

I5y  sonic  adroit  nianaii;i'tnont,  a  number  of  British  pris- 
oiuM's  were  captureil,  and  at  U'li^lli  Dutilap  was  In-aten 
back  with  considerable  loss.  Mills  stati's  that  he  was  pur- 
sued a  mile,  but  eould  not  be  overtaken.  About  two  miles 
below  till'  battle-nround,  Dunlap's  ru<riti\i's  were  met  bv 
Feri^uson  with  his  whole  ibree,  who  together  adxanced 
to  the  Iron  Works,  tVoiii  whieii,  as  tlii'V  eaine  in  si;4lit, 
a  lew  hours  alter  the  action,  Clarke  and  Slu'lby  were 
compelled  to  make  a  hasty  retreat,  leavin<r  one  or  two  of 
their  woundetl  behind  them — not  haviuiT  time  or  conveni- 
ences  to  conve\'  them  away  ;  but  thev  were  treated  by 
Ferguson  with  humanity,  and  left  tlu-re  when  he  ri'tired. 
As  Clarki'  and  Shelby  expected,  Fery;uson  now  pursued 
them,  with  the  hope  ot'  regainiui;"  the  prisoners.  The 
American  leaders  retired  slowly,  rorniing  riH'([ui'ntly  on  the 
most  advantageous  ground  to  give  battle,  and  so  retarding 
the  pursuit,  that  the  nnsoners  were  llnally  placed  beyond 
recapture. 

Three  miles  north-east  of  the  old  Iron  Works,  they 
came  to  Pacolet ;  just  be\ ond  w  liich,  skirling  its  north- 
east border,  rises  a  steep,  rocky  hill,  llftv  to  sixty  feet  high, 
so  steep  where  the  road  passed  up  at  that  day,  that  the 
men,  in  some  cases,  had  to  help  th  'ir  horses  up  its  dillicult 
ascent.  Along  the  crest  of  this  liiJl  or  ridge,  Shelby  and 
Clarke  disphu'ed  their  littK-  force  :  and  w  hen  Ferguson  and 
his  mini  came  in  \  iew.  evincing  a  disinclination  to  pursue 
any  farther,  the  patriots,  from  their  vantage-ground,  ban- 
tered and  ridiculed  them  to  their  hearts'  content.  But 
Ferguson,  having  maintained  the  chase  four  or  live  miles, 


niwii 


*M.ijor  A.  F-  Wells,  of  Mnnlev.illo,  Alibama.  a  native  cf  Spartanburg,  narrates  a 
siiiRul.ir  incident  which  must  relate  to  this  battle.  After  the  war,  the  wiilow  of  a  Tory 
came  to  the  neglected  b\iri,al  place,  and  had  the  fallen  dead  disinterred,  from  which  .she 
readily  selected  the  remains  of  her  husband,  for  he  was  si.v  and  n  half  feet  high,  und  piously 
bore  them  to  her  distant  hunu  fur  j  more  Christian  inicruiciit. 


I 


AND  ITS  nr.ROES. 


Q5 


now    abandoned    il,    with    nolhinLj    to    boast    of,    save    his 
superior  niunbers.* 

Mr.  Sayt'\s  account  of  tliis  allair,  as  ^aliicrod  iVoiu  tiie 
traditions  ol"  tlic  neighborhood,  and  pubHshed  thirty-tlu\'0 
\ears  ago,  inav  \ery  properly  suppleineiU  tiie  narrative  just 
riihiti'd — with  tlie  jiassing  rt'Piark,  lliat  what  lie  descril)es  as 
the  liaUli>  at  the  pi>ach-orchard.  was  probalily  but  one  of 
thi-  ej)isodes  of  that  day's  hemic  exploits,  and  yet  it  may 
have  been  the  jirincipal  one :  Shelby's  Ibrce  occupied  a 
position  lU'ar  the  present  site  of  l)ivingsville.  Various 
attein|ns  wei-e  made  to  tall  u|i(in  llu-  Americans  by  snrj-)risc> ; 
but  thi'se  schemes  were  baHU'd.  About  Ibur  miles  I'rom 
Spartanburg  Court  House,  on  the  main  road  to  rnionville, 
is  an  ancient  plantation  known  as  •Thompson's  Old  I'lace.' 
It  is  an  elevated  tract  of  country,  lying  between  the  tribu- 
tarii's  of  h'air  I'orest  Ci\H'k  on  oiu-  side,  and  those  ot  Law- 
son's  l"'()rk  ot'  Pacolet  on  tlu>  other — ami  about  michvay 
between  Cedar  Spring  and  the  Iron  Works. 

A  road  leading  iVom  North  Carolina  to  Georgia,  by  the 
way  of  the  Cherokee  I'ord  of  l>road  river,  passed  through 
this  place,  and  thence  by  or  lu-ar  the  Cedar  Spring.  A 
person  passing  from  the  direction  of  luiionvilK'  towards 
Spartanburg  Court  House,  crosses  this  ancii-nt  highway, 
after  passing  which,  by  looking  to  the  right,  the  eye  rests 
upon  a  parcel  o!'  land  extending  down  a  holk)w,  which  was 
cleared  and  planted  in  fruit  trees  jirior  to  the  Revolutionary 
war.  T?ey(Mul  this  hollow,  jasi  where  the  road  enters  a 
body  of  woodland,  there  are  yet  some  traces  of  a  human 
habitation.  In  this  orchard,  two  patrol  parties  met  from  the 
adverse  armies.  The  party  trom  Dunlap's  camp  were  in 
the  orchard  gathering  peaches  :  the  Libertv  men  tired  on 
them,  and  drove  them  ("rom  the  place.  In  turn,  the  victors 
entered  the  orchard,  but  the  report  of  their  guns  brought  out 

*  MS  notes  of  conversations  with  the  late  Colonel  GcorRe  Wilson,  of  Nashville.  T<-n- 
nessee,  who  derived  the  facts  from  his  father-in-law,  Alexander  Orcer.  cine  i.f  Major 
Rohertson's  men  on  the  expedition  MS.  letters  of  Hon.  Simpson  Hobo  and  A,  II. 
Twichell.  showing  the  locality  of  the  1'"  olct  hill. 


:lJt 


{JO 


A'/ATG'S  MOUNTAIN 


II 


a  stronj^  dotachniiMit  from  the  Cedar  Spring,  as  well  as  a 
iH-infoiveiiU'iU  iVotn  Slu'lby.  Tlie  commaiuler  of  the  patrol, 
wlu'U  lie  saw  the  enemy  approacliing,  drew  up  his  men 
under  cover  of  the  fence  along  the  ridge,  just  where  the  old 
Held  and  woodland  now  meet,  and  where  traces  of  an  old 
residence  are  now  barely  visible.  Here  he  awaited  their 
approach. 

The  onset  was  furious,  but  vigorously  met.  The  conflict 
was  uuiintained  against  fearful  odds  till  the  arrival  of 
reinforcements  from  Shelby's  camp.  The  scale  now 
turned,  and  the  assailants  now  fell  back.  The  whole  force 
of  Shelby  and  Clarke  were  soon  in  battle  array,  confronted 
by  the  whole  British  advance,  numbering  six  or  seven  lum- 
dred  men.  The  struGf'de  was  renewed  with  redoubled  furv. 
The  Liberty  men  drove  back  their  foes,  when  the  whole 
British  army  came  up.  A  retreat  was  now  a  matter  of 
necessity.  Such  is  the  local  tradition;  but  local  tradition, 
especially  in  this  case,  is  I'xtremely  liable  to  error  and  con- 
fusion, from  the  fact  that  but  lew  of  the  people  of  that  quar- 
ter were  present  in  the  action — for  the  actors  were  mostly 
from  other  States,  and  probably  strangers  to  the  neighbor- 
hood,    '^riuis  far,  Mr.  Sa3'e's  narrative. 

Onl\-  two  British  accouiUs  of  the  action  at  Cedar  Spring 
have  come  to  our  knowledge — one  bears  date  Savannah, 
Georgia,  August  twenty-fourth,  1780.  It  appeared  in  Riv- 
mgton's  XciL'  I'ork  Royal  (ra:ctlt'^  of  Septetuber  fourtt-enth, 
copied  into  the  London  Chronicle,  of  No\ember  sixteenth, 
ensuing.  It  has  every  appearance  of  being  a  one-sided  and 
diminuitve  statement  of  tin'  afTair  :  '•  We  learn  from  Augusta, 
that  a  Captain  of  the  Qiieen's  Rangers,  with  twenty-four 
dragoons,  and  about  thirty  militia,  lately  charged  about 
three  hundred  Rebels  above  Ninet}'  Six.  Whilst  they  were 
engaged,  Colonel  Ferguson  happily  got  up  with  some  men 
to  the  assistance  of  our  small  party,  which  obliged  the 
enemy  to  take  to  their  heels.  Fifty  of  the  Rebels  were 
killed  and  wounded  ;  a  Major  Smith  was  among  the  slain, 


'f.  !. 


m'M 


AhW  rrs  HEROES. 


97 


and  a  Lifiitcnaiit-Cokjiiel  Clarke  was  wouiulod,  and  iliod 
noxt  dav.  Our  loss  is  said  to  be  one  dragoon  and  seven 
militia  killed." 

Allaire  supplies  the  other  account  :  "  Got  to  the  ground 
the  Rebels  were  encamped  on,  at  four  o'clock  on  Tuesday 
morning,  August  eighth.  They  had  intelligence  of  our 
move,  and  were  likewise  iilarmed  by  the  firing  of  a  gun  in 
our  ranks ;  they  sneaked  from  their  ground  about  half  an 
hour  before  we  arrived.  Learning  that  the  Rebel  wagons 
were  three  miles  in  front  of  us  at  Cedar  Springs,  Captain 
Dunlap,  with  fourteen  mounted  men,  and  a  iuindred  and 
thirtv  militia,  were  dispatched  to  take  the  wagons.  lie  met 
three  Rtbels  coming  to  reconnoitre  our  camp  ;  he  pursued, 
took  two  of  them,  the  other  escaped,  giving  the  Rebi'ls  the 
alarm.  In  pursuit  of  this  man,  Dunlap  and  his  party 
rushed  into  the  centre  of  the  Rebel  camp,  where  they  lay 
in  ambush,  before  he  was  aware  of  their  presence.  A 
skirmish  ensued,  in  which  Dunlap  got  slightly  wounded, 
and  had  between  twenty  and  thirty  killed  and  wounded — 
Ensign  McFarland  and  one  private  caken  priso  lers  The 
Rebel  loss  is  uncertain — a  Major  Smith,  Captain  Potts,  and 
two  privates  were  left  dead  on  the  lield.  Colonel  Clarke, 
Johnson  [Robertson.]  and  twenty  privates  were  seen 
wounded.  We  pursued  them  live  miles,  to  the  Iron  Works  ; 
but  were  not  able  to  overtake  them,  they  being  all  mounted." 

Among  the  slain  was  Major  Hurweli  Smith,  who  had 
contributed  greatly  to  the  settlement  of  the  frontier  portion 
of  Georgia,  where  he  liad  been  an  activt'  and  successful 
partisan  in  Indian  warfare,  and  his  fall  was  deeply  lamented 
by  Colonel  Clarke  and  his  associates.  Captain  John  Potts* 
and  Thomas  Scott  were  also  among  the  slain.  Besides 
Colonel  Clarke's  slight  wounds  with  a  sabre.  Major  Charles 
Robertson,  a  volunteer  Irom  the  Watauga  troops,  and  Cap- 


''This  is  stuted  on  the  authority  of  Coh)Mol  Graliam.  who  pnrticlpnteil  in  the  action, 
corrohorateil  liy  Lieutenant  Allaire's  Pi.try,  A.  H.  Twli-hell,  I'.sq  ,  <if  (lleniJale,  states  as 
the  trailitioTi  of  an  ohl  resilient  of  that  region,  that  an  Anieriean  offieer  nanieil  Potter  was 
sh"'  out  of  a  peaeh  tree  at  Thonipsou  s  plaee.     This  doubtless  refers  to  Captain  I'otls, 


98 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


tain  Jolm  Clarke,  the  youthl'ul  son  of  the  Colonel,  yet  in  his 
teens,  and  several  others,  were  also  wounded  in  the  same 
manner.  This  close  hand-to-hand  sabre  lighting,  which 
McCall  describes,  contradicts  his  previous  description  of  the 
action  as  il' it  were  simply  a  "  distant  lirinw  "  upon  each 
other.  It  shows,  too,  that  the  back-woods  ritlemen  did  not 
take  to  their  heels  on  the  approach  of  the  dragoons  with 
their  glittering  broad-swords. 

It  is  not  easy  to  determine  the  actual  strength  of  the 
parties  engaged  in  this  spirited  contest,  nor  their  respective 
losses.  McCall  does  not  specify  how  many  on  either  side 
took  part  in  the  conflict — only  that  the  Americans  were  out- 
numbered :  erroneously  naming  Innes  as  the  British  com- 
mander ;  and  states  that  the  eneni}'  pursued  Colonel  Clarke 
to  Woflbrd's  Iron  Works,  where  he  had  chosen  a  strong 
position  from  which  the  British  endeavored  to  draw 
him,  and  that  a  distant  firing  continued  during  the  after- 
noon, until  near  night;  that  the  Americans  lost  four  killed 
and  live  or  six  wounded,  while  the  eneni}-  lost  five  killed 
and  eleven  wounded.  Mills  mentions  m  one  place  in  his 
work,  that  Clarke's  force  was  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight, 
in  anolher,  one  hundred  and  ninetN'-eight,  evidently  ignorant 
of  the  presence  of  Colonels  Shelby  and  Graham,  with  their 
followers;  that  Ferguson  and  Dunlap  combined,  numbered 
between  four  and  six  hundred,  of  which  Dun]aj:)\s  advance 
consisted  of  sixtv  dragoons  and  one  hundred  and.  liftv 
mounted  volunteer  rifiemen  ;  that  the  Americans  had  four 
killed  and  twenty-three  wounded,  all  bv  the  broad-sword  ; 
while  Dunlap  lost  twenty-eight  of  his  dragoons,  and  six  or 
seven  of  his  Tory  volunteers  killed,  and  several  wounded. 
Shelby,  in  Haywood,  states  Ferguson's  full  force  at  about 
two  thousand  strong — which  Todd  augments  to  twentv-fivc 
hundred — of  which  Dunlap's  advance  was  reputed  at  six  or 
seven  hundred ;  that  the  strength  of  the  Americans  was  six 
hundred;  and  acknowledges  that  ten  or  twelve  of  the 
latter  were  killed  and  wounded,  but  does  not  state  the  loss 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


99 


of  their  assailants.  Colonel  Graham  gives  no  numbers,  but 
asserts  that  many  of  the  enemy  were  killed.  These  several 
statements  diller  very  much  from  the  British  reports,  and 
from  each  other. 

In  Shelby's  account  as  originally  published  in  Hay- 
wood's Tennessee,  and  then  in  Ramse3'"s,  the  number  of 
prisoners  taken  is  stated  at  '*  twent\',  with  two  British  offi- 
cers," which  in  Todd's  memoir  of  Shelby,  are  increased  to 
"  fifty,  mostlv  British,  including  two  oflicers  ;  "  and  Colonel 
Graham  in  his  pension  statement,  places  the  number  at 
onl^-  half  a  dozen,  and  Allaire  at  only  two. 

As  to  the  particular  time  in  the  da}-  in  which  the  contest 
took  place,  there  is  also  quite  a  variety  of  statements. 
Mills  places  it  before  day,  when  so  dark  that  it  was  hard  to 
distinguish  friend  from  foe — his  informant  doubtless  refer- 
ring, not  to  Dunlap's  fight,  but  to  the  prior  attack  upon 
Colonel  Thomas,  at  Cedar  Spring,  which  he  so  signally 
repe!  ed.    . 

McCall  states  that  it  occurred  in  the  afternoon;  Shelby 
is  silent  on  this  point ;  while  Governor  Perry's  traditions 
conve}'  the  idea  that  it  was  in  the  morning  or  fore  part  of 
the  da}',  and  in  this  he  is  corroborated  by  Captain  William 
Snnth,*  as  well  as  by  the  MS.  Diary  of  Lieutenant 
Allaire. 

Colonel  Graham  onlv  refers  to  the  lime   of  d;iv  inferen- 


\\  ' 


If    ;  ,* 


iiti 


*     4 


•Captain  Smith  was  horn  in  Hiicks  Cmnty.  Pennsylvania,  September  20th,  1751.  and 
early  settled  in  what  is  now  Spartanhurg  Connty,  South  Carolina,  He  served  in  Captain 
Joseph  Woflonl's  company  on  the  Snow  tainpaiun,  in  1775;  and  the  next  year  as  Lieuten- 
ant on  Williamson's  expedition  against  the  Cherokees.  In  1777,  he  was  made  a  Captain  in 
the  militia  and  was  stationed  in  Wood's  I'ort  on  Tyger.  In  Deceniher.  1778,  he  was 
ordered  to  (ieorgia,  serving  under  General  Lincoln;  and  shared  in  the  battle  of  Stono,  in 
June,  1779:  in  the  contests,  as  we  have  seen,  near  WolTord's  Iron  Works,  Hanging  Rock, 
and  Mnsgrivc's  Mill,  in  August.  17S0 ;  and  subsequently  at  the  b.Utle  of  lilackstocks.  in  the 
siege  of  Fort  Granby,  at  Guilford  Court  House,  Quinliy  Hridge.  the  affair  at  the  Juniper. 
and  the  capture  of  some  llritish  vessels  at  Walboo  Landing  under  Colonel  Wade  Hampton, 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  war  he  ranked  as  Major.  After  the  war,  he  was  chosen  County 
Judge,  member  of  Congress  from  1797  to  1799,  and  State  Senator  f  )r  twenty  years.  I'ew 
men  served  the  public  longer  or  more  faithfully  in  military  and  civil  life  than  Jiidgc  Smith. 
He  died  June  ?jd.  r.837,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  .age.  His  widow  survived  till 
C>ctobcr  2d,  1842, 


\\  ■■■      \ , 


100 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


tially,  by  stating  that  it  was  "several  liours"  after  the 
action  before  Ferguson,  with  his  combined  force,  came  in 
sight,  when  Shelby  and  his  men  precipitately  retired. 

Precisel}'  where  the  tight  took  place  has  also  been 
a  subject  of  dispute — the  result,  no  doubt,  of  the  general 
vagueness  of  the  descriptions.  Mills  says  it  occurred  at 
tlie  Green  Springs,  meaning  Cedar  Spring,  near  Woftbrd's 
old  Iron  Works ;  Shelby  says  a'  Cedar  Spring,  as  does 
Samuel  Espy,  of  North  Carolina,  who  was  also  in  the 
action.  Had  these  two  men,  and  Mills'  informant,  stated  the 
locality  with  more  exactitude,  they  might,  and  probably 
would,  have  said,  that  they  named  the  Cedar  Spring  as  a 
permanent  landmark,  near  which  the  contest  transpired, 
and  so  located  it — the  same  as  Gates'  defeat  is  frequently 
referred  to  as  having  occurred  at  Camden,  when  it  really 
took  place  some  seven  miles  distant.  Colonel  Graham,  one 
of  the  prominent  officers  in  that  affair,  refers  to  it  as  "  at 
Wotlbrd's  Iron  Works  ;"  Alexander  McFaddcn.  a  survivor 
of  the  contest,  speaks  of  it  as  "the  battle  of  Wofford's  Iron 
Works  ;"  while  McCall,  the  historian,  says  the  enemy  pur- 
sued the  Americans  "to  Wofford's  Iron  Works,  where  they 
chose  their  ground,  and  awaited  the  attack." 

W^illiam  Smith,  of  Tennessee,  another  survivor  of  the 
contest  says,  "  we  had  a  battle  near  WofTord's  Iron  Works  ; " 
and  Captain  William  Smith,  of  Spartanburg,  who  was  an 
intelligent  officer  in  the  fight,  and  resided  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  battle-ground  the  most  of  his  long  lite,  states  that  the 
contest  took  place  "  near  the  old  Iron  Works."  His  son, 
Hon.  John  Winsmith,  in  a  historical  address  he  made  at 
Cedar  Spring,  in  1855,  and  verbally  repeated  to  the  writer 
in  1871.  describes  the  hill,  tlien  covered  w'th  timber,  nearly 
half  a  mile  north-east  of  Cedar  Spring,  as  the  Ii>cality  of 
the  battle.  It  is  possible  that  the  first  half-hour's  contest, 
where  Clarke  had  his  desperate  personal  rencontre  with 
unequal  odds,  may  have  taken  place  near  this  hill,  as  Dr. 
Winsmith  believes.    "  On  this  locality,"  says  N.  F.  Walker, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


101 


"  within  m}' recillection,  a  muskot-barrel  was  found,  and 
near  where  we  think  tlie  dead  were  buried."* 

But  as  Cedar  Spring  seems  not  to  have  been  on  the 
old  route  pursued  by  the  contending  parties,  the  weiglit 
of  evidence,  and  all  the  circumstances,  go  to  show  that 
die  chief  flighting  was  "near  the  old  Iron  Works,"  as 
Captain  \\'illiam  Smith  positively  asserts.  Mr.  Saye's 
traditions  of  the  neighborhood,  collected  there  prior  to 
1848,  fix  the  locality  of,  at  least,  one  portion  of  the  con- 
test, at  the  old  orchard  on  the  Thompson  place,  between  the 
Cedar  Spring  and  the  old  Iron  Works,  about  one  mile  from 
the  former,  and  nearly  two  from  the  latter.  The  fact  that 
the  graves  of  the  Tory  dead,  including  the  one  from  which 
the  peach  tree  sprimg,  are  near  the  old  Tliompson  orchard, 
and  between  it  and  Cedar  Spring,  sufficiently  attest  tlie 
locality  where,  at  least,  the  principal  part  of  this  notable 
passage  at  arms  occurred. 

More  space  has  been  devoted  to  these  two  somewhat 
blended  aflairs — the  one  at  the  Cedar  Spring,  where  Colo- 
nel Thomas  repulsed  the  enemy,  and  the  other  near  Thomp- 
son's peach-orchard  —  than,  perliaps,  their  real  importance 
in  history  would  seem  to  warrant.  At  the  period  of  their 
occurrence,  they  exerted  a  marked  influence  on  the  people 
of  the  upper  region  of  Carolina,  as  demonstrating  what 
brave  and  determined  men  could  accomplish  in  defense  of 
their  own  and  their  country's  rights  ;  and  how  successfully 
they  could  meet  an  insolent  foe,  alike  in  ambush,  or  on  the 
battle-field.  As  no  contemporary-  records  of  these  events 
have  come  down  to  us,  save  the  vague  and  unsatisfactory 
Bridsh  ones  which  we  have  given  entire,  and  the  tradition- 
:UT  accounts  have  become  more  or  less  intermixed  and  con- 
fused, it  seemed  proper  to  sift  them  as  thoroughly  as  possi- 
ble, and  present  the  simple  narrative  of  the  occurrences  as 
the  facts  seem  to  indicate. 

♦It  may  well  have  been  at  this  hill  where  the  previous  Tory  attack  was  made  on 
Colonel  Thomas.  It  was  a  fit  place,  then  covered  with  timber,  to  have  formed  his  success- 
ful ambuscade 


d\ 


It 

if 


ff 


102 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


The  difficulty  has  hitherto  heen,  on  the  part  of  histori- 
cal writers,  in  attempts  to  blend  the  two  affairs,  when  the 
time,  details,  and  different  commanding  otlicers,  all  go  very 
clearly  to  prove  that  they  were  entirely  distinct,  and  had 
no  connection  whatever  with  each  other.  It  is  due  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Saje,  to  state  that  he  was  the  first  person  who 
discovered  the  incongruity  of  applying  the  details  to  a  sin- 
gle action  ;  but  he  was  unable  to  fix  their  respective  dates, 
or  determine  which  took  the  precedence  of  the  other  in 
point  of  time.  McCalls  Ilisiory  of  Georgia  has  furnished 
the  key  to  unlock  the  ditliculty  with  reference  to  the  time 
of  the  attack  on  Thomas'  force  at  Cedar  Spring,  and  all  the 
circumstances  go  to  confirm  it ;  while  the  hitherto  unpub- 
lished Diary  of  Lieutenant  Allaire  determines  tlie  date  of' 
the  affair  near  Wofford's  Iron  Works.* 


*The  authorities  consulted  i'l  the  preparation  of  this  notice  of  the  action  near  Cedar 
Spring  and  WolToid's  Iron  Works,  are;  McCall's  Georgia,  ii,  314;  Haywood's  Tenmssie. 
64-65;  Mills'  Sluiisii'ts  c/  South  Carolina,  256.738-39;  Todd's  l\Iemoir  of  Shelby :  Governor 
Perry's  account  in  the  Magnolia  Magazine,  August,  1842  ;  New  York  Royal  Cazittc.  Sep- 
tember 14th,  1780;  Lotidon  Ckivniclf.  November  lOth,  1780;  Saye's  Memoir  of  Mijunkir.. 
and  the  Sayi;  MSS  ;  MiiS.  of  L)r.  John  H.  Logan  ;  Allaire's  MS.  Diary;  Win.«mitli's  Ad- 
drtss,  1853;  together  with  the  MS.  pension  statements  of  Colonel  William  Graham,  Cap- 
tain William  Smith,  of  Spartanburg,  Samuel  Espy,  Alexander  McKadden,  and  William 
Smith,  of  Tennessee,  all  participants  in  the  action  ;  also  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with 
ColoTie)  George  Wilson,  of  Tennessee.  1  am  indebted  to  N.  F.  Walker,  Esq.,  of  Cedar 
Spring,  and  A.  H.  Twichcll.  Esq.,  of  Glendale,  for  traditions,  and  descriptions  of  the 
localities  cnnnerled  with  the  battle  and  the  retreat. 

Ramaay,  Moultrie.  Lee's  A!eMioir\  Johnson's  Greene,  and  other  early  writers,  do  not 
oven  notice  this  action;  nor  such  modern  historians  as  Bancroft,  Hildreth,  and  Stevens. 
Lossing.  Wheeler,  Simms.  Ramsey's  Tennessee,  and  O'Neall's  Newberry  briefly  refer  to  it ; 
while  Mrs.  Ellet,  in  her  Women  c/  the  Revolution,  and  her  Domestic  History  0/  the  Rei'o- 
lution,  simply  copies  from  Mills,  misapplying  the  story  of  Mrs.  Ddlard's  adventure. 

I  have  not  cited  what  passes  for  Colonel  Hammond^,    .ccount  of  the  battle,  in  a  new.s- 
paper  series,  and  also  in  Johnson's  Traditions  0/  the  Revolution,  simply  because  he  could 
not  liave  written  it;  but  it  was  evidently  mannfictured  from  Mills'  Statistics,   with  some 
imaginary  intcrlardings,  to  give  it  a  new  appearance.     Dawson,  in  his  I^attles  0/ the  United' 
States^  has  given  a  chapter  on  this  affair,  based  on  the  pretended  Hammond  narrative. 


AND  lis  HEROES. 


103 


CHAPTER   VI. 


1780— August  18. 


Musgrovcs  Mill  Expedition  and  Battle. — Rencontre  of  the  Patrol  Par- 
ties.— British  Alarm. — Information  of  the  Enemy's  Reinforcement. 
—  IVhigs  throw  up  Breast-works.— Captain  Inman's  Stratagem. — 
Enemy  Drawn  into  the  Net  prepared  for  them. — Desperate  Fight- 
ing.— Innes  and  other  British  Leaders  IVoiinded. —  Tory  Colonel 
Clary's  Escape. —  Captain  Inman  Killed. —  The  Retreat  and  the 
Rout. — Incidents  at  the  Ford. — Sam  Moore's  Adventure. —  The  Brit- 
ish and  Tory  Reserve. — A  British  Patrol  Returns  too  late  to  share 
in  the  Battle. — Burial  of  the  slain. — Length  and  severity  of  the  Action. 
— Respective  Losses. — News  of  Gates'  Defeat — its  Influence. —  Whigs' 
Retreat. — Anecdote  of  Paul  Hinson. —  77/^?  Prisoners. —  Williams'  Re- 
ward.—  Cornwallis'  Confession. — Comparison  of  Authorities. 

Returning  from  their  Fair  Forest  expedition,  Clarke 
and  Shelby's  men  needed  a  little  repose.  McDowell  soon 
after  removed  his  camp  from  the  Cherokee  Ford,  taking 
post,  some  ten  miles  below,  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
Broad  River,  at  Smith's  Ford.  By  his  faithful  scouts, 
Colonel  McDowell  was  kept  well  informed  of  Ferguson's 
movements  and  out-posts.  Learning  that  a  body  of  some 
two  hundred  Loyalists  were  stationed  at  Musgrove's  Mill, 
some  forty  miles  distant  on  the  Enoree,  to  guard  the  rocky 
ford  at  that  place,  it  w'as  regarded  as  a  vulnerable  point — 
all  the  more  so,  since  Ferguson,  with  his  main  force,  was 
stationed  considerably  in  advance,  between  that  place  and 
the  American  encampment,  thus  tending  to  lull  into  security 
those  in  their  rear. 

The  term  of  enlistment  of  Colonel  Shelby's  regiment 
was  about  to  expire,  and  that  enterprising  officer  was 
desirous  of  engaging  in  another  active  service  before  retir- 
ing to   his  home  on  the  Holston.      Colonels  Shelbv  and 


104 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Clarke  were  appointed  to  lead  a  party  of  mounted  men  to 
surprise  or  attack  the  Loyalists  at  MusLjrove's.  Witli  Clarke 
was  Captain  James  McCall  and  Captain  Samuel  I  lammond. 
Colonel  James  Williams,  whose  home  was  in  that  region, 
but  who  had  been  driven  from  it,  had,  on  the  sixteenth  of 
August,  joined  McDowell  with  a  few  Ibliowers — prominent 
among  whom  wereColonel  Thomas  Brandon,  Colonel  James 
Steen,  and  Major  Mcjunkin  ;  and  these  united  with  Shelby 
and  Clarke,  together  with  several  other  experienced  oflicers, 
who  volunteered  to  share  in  the  enterprise,  among  whom 
were  Major  Joseph  McDowell,  the  brother  of  the  Colonel, 
Captain  David  Vance,  and  Captain  Valentine  Sevier,  and 
with  the  latter,  a  number  of  Watauga  and  Nolachucky  rifle- 
men. 

It  was  largely  rumored,  that  a  military  chest  was  either 
at  Musgrove's,  or  was  being  conveyed  from  Ninety  Six  to 
Ferguson's  camp  ;  and  the  Whigs  hoped  to  intercept  it  on 
the  way.  Whatever  influence  this  prospect  of  obtaining 
British  treasure  may  have  exerted  on  the  volunteers,  as  we 
hear  no  more  of  the  chest,  we  may  conclude  that  it  was  a 
camp  3'arn,  gotten  up  for  the  occasion  ;  or,  if  a  reality,  it 
certainly  eluded  the  grasp  of  the  adventurers. 

Secrec}'  and  dispatch  were  necessary  to  success.  A 
night  march  was  therefore  chosen,  when  less  likely  to  be 
observed,  and  cooler  for  the  horses  to  travel,  Shelb}-  and 
his  two  hundred  adventurous  followers  left  camp  an  hour 
before  sun-down,  on  the  seventeenth  of  August.  Williams, 
Brandon,  and  their  men,  were  well  acquainted  with  the 
country,  and  knew  the  best  route  to  effect  their  purpose. 
They  traveled  through  die  woods  until  dark,  when  they  fell 
into  a  road,  and  proceeded  on  all  night,  much  of  the  way  in 
a  canter,  and  without  making  a  single  stop  —  crossing 
Gilkv's  and  Thicketty  creeks,  Pacolet,  Fair  Forest,  and 
Tyger,  with  other  lesser  streams,  and  passing  within  three 
or  four  miles  of  Ferguson's  camp  on  their  left,  which  was, 
at  this  time,  at  Fair  Forest  Shoal,  in  Brandon's  settlement. 


AXD  ITS  JIERO/iS. 


105 


•*  ; 


some  t\vcnt\-si\  miles  from  Smith's  Ford ;  and  from  Fair 
Forest  Shoal,  it  was  slill  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  to  Mus- 
grove's.     It  was  a  hard  night's  ride. 

Arriving,  near  the  dawn  of  day,  within  a  mile  nearly 
north  of  Miisgrove's  Ford,  tiie  Whig  parly  halted  at  an  old 
Indian  iield,  and  sent  out  a  party  of  live  or  six  scouts  to 
reconnoitre  the  situation.  They  crossed  the  mouth  of  Cedar 
Shoal  Creek,  close  to  the  Spartanhurg  line,  a  short  distance 
below  Musgrove's  Mill,  and  then  passed  up  a  by-road  to 
Head's  Ford,  a  mile  above  IMusgrove's,  where  they  forded 
the  Enoree,  and  stealthily  approached  sufliciently  near  the 
Tory  camp  to  make  observations.  Returning  the  same 
route,  \vhen  on  the  top  of  the  river  ridge,  west  of  Cedar 
Shoal  creek,  they  encountered  a  small  Tory  patrol,  which 
had  passed  over  at  Musgrove's  Ford,  during  their  absence 
above,  and  thus  gained  their  rear.  A  sharp  firing  ensued, 
when  one  of  the  enemy  was  killed,  two  wounded,  and  two 
fled  precipitately  to  the  Tory  camp.  Two  of  the  Ameri- 
cans were  slightly  wounded,  who,  with  their  fellows,  now 
promptly  returned  to  Shelby  and  Clarke's  halting  place, 
with  the  intelligence  they  had  gained,  and  the  particulars 
of  their  skirmish. 

This  firing,  and  the  speed}'  arrival  of  the  two  patrol- 
men, put  the  Tory  camp  in  wild  commotion.  Colonel 
Innes,  Major  Fraser,  and  other  officers  who  had  their  head- 
quarters at  Edward  Musgrove's  residence,  held  a  hurried 
council.  Innes  was  for  marching  over  the  river  at  once, 
and  catching  the  Rebels  before  they  had  time  to  retreat ; 
while  others  contended  for  delay,  at  least  till  after  break- 
fast, by  which  time,  it  was  hoped,  a  part}'  of  one  hundred 
mounted  men,  who  had  gone  on  a  patrol,  eight  miles  below, 
near  Jones'  Ford,  would  return,  and  thus  add  very  materi- 
ally to  their  strength.  But  Innes'  counsels  prevailed,  lest 
they  should  miss  so  fine  an  opportunity  "to  bag"  a  scurvy- 
lot  of  ragamuffins,  as  they  regarded  the  adventurous  Ameri- 
cans.    So  leaving  one  hundred  men  in  camp  as  a  reserve, 


ilMfl 


n 


lOH 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


If 


1 H  i.  I  i 


preparations  wore  made  for  an  immediate  advance  to  meet 
the  unexpected  invaders. 

Meanwhile,  Shelhy  and  Chirke  had  taken  position  on  a 
timbered  rid^^e,  some  little  distance  east  of  Cedar  Shoal 
creek,  and  within  about  half  a  mile  of  Musj»"rove's  Ford  and 
Mill.  At  this  juncture,  a  countryman,  who  lived  near  by, 
came  up,  ^ivin<(  information  that  the  IJritish  had  been  rein- 
forced the  precedin<^r  i:venin<^,  by  the  arrival  of  Colonel 
Alexander  Junes,  from  Ninety  Six,  with  two  hundred  men 
of  the  Provincial  regiments,  and  one  hundred  Tories,  des- 
tined to  join  Colonel  Ferguson.  A  British  writer  represents, 
that  Innes'  detachment  consisted  of  a  light  infantry  com- 
pany of  the  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  under  Captain  Peter 
Campbell ;  a  company  of  De  Lancey's  Provincial  Battalion, 
under  Captain  James  Kerr,  together  with  about  one  hundred 
mounted  men  of  his  own  regiment,  the  South  Carolina 
Royalists.  This  could  not  have  included  the  regular  garri- 
son  previously  stationed  there,  apparently  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  Fraser.  Captain  Abraham  Ue  Peyster,  of 
the  King's  American  regiment,  as  well  as  the  noted  Loyalist 
partisan,  Captain  David  Fanning,  were  also  there;  while 
Colonel  Daniel  Clary  was  encamped  there,  at  the  head  of 
the  Tories  of  that  region. 

So  minute  were  the  circumstances  of  the  information 
communicated  by  the  countryman,  that  no  doubt  was  enter- 
tained of  its  truth  ;  and  to  march  on  and  attack  the  enemy 
appeared  rash,  and  to  attempt  a  successful  retreat,  wearied 
and  broken  down  as  the  horses  were,  seemed  almost  im- 
possible. Colonel  Shelby  and  his  associates  instantly  con- 
cluded, that  they  had  no  alternative  —  light  they  must. 
Securing  their  horses  in  their  rear,  they  resolved  to  impro- 
vise a  breast-work  of  logs  and  brush,  and  make  the  best 
defense  possible.  Their  lines  were  Ibrmed  across  the  road, 
at  least  three  hundred  yards  in  length,  along  the  ridge,  in 
a  semi-circle,  and  both  protected  and  concealed  by  a  wood. 
Old  logs,  fallen  trees  and  brush  were  hurried  into  place,  so 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


107 


that  in  thirty  minutes  they  had  a  \  rry  ivspcctahle  protection, 
breast-lii^h.  vSliolhy  occupied  the  rij^ht — Chu'ke  the  left; 
and  WiUiains  in  the  center,  tliough  with  no  special  com- 
mand, for  the  whole  force  Ibrmed  one  extended  line.  A 
party  of  some  twent}-  horsemen  were  placed  on  each  flank, 
shii'lded,  as  much  as  possil)le.  from  the  enemy's  observa- 
tion— Josiah  Culbertson  ha\inf^  the  command  of  that  on 
Shelby's  right ;  and  Colonel  Clarke  had  a  reserve  of  forty 
men  within  calling  distance. 

Captain  Shadrach  Inman,  who  had  figured  prominently 
in  l)atding  the  British  and  Tories  in  Georgia,  was  sent  for- 
ward, with  about  twenty-live  mounted  men,  with  orders  to 
fire  upon,  and  provoke  the  enemy  to  cross  the  ford,  and 
skirmish  wilh  them,  at  his  discretion  ;  and  retire,  drawing 
the  British  into  the  net  which  Shelby  and  Clarke  had  so 
adroitly  prepared  for  them.  This  stratagem,  which  was  the 
suggestion  of  the  Captain  himself,  worked  admirably,  for 
the  British  infantry  seemed  elated  widi  their  success  in 
driving  Inman  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet ;  but  the  Whig 
Captain  kept  up  a  show  of  fighting  and  retreating.  While 
the  enemy  were  yet  two  hundred  yards  distant  from  the 
American  breast-w^orks,  they  hastily  formed  into  line  of 
Ixittle  ;  and  as  they  advanced  lift}'  yards  nearer,  they  opened 
a  heavy  fire,  pretty  generally  over-shooting  their  antago- 
nists. When  trees  were  convenient,  the  fronticrmcn  made 
use  of  them,  while  others  were  shielded  behind  their  rudely 
constructed  barrier,  and,  to  some  extent,  availed  themselves 
also  of  a  fence  extending  along  the  road.  The  Americans 
had  been  cautioned  to  reserve  their  fire  "till  they  could  see 
the  whites  of  tlie  Tories'  eyes  ;"  or,  as  another  has  it,  "till 
they  could  distinguish  the  buttons  on  their  clothes" — nor 
even  then  to  discharge  their  rifles,  until  orders  were  given, 
when  each  man  was  "to  take  his  object  sure."  These 
orders  were  strictly  obeyed. 

The  British  center,  on  whom  Inman  made  his  feigned 
attacks,  seeing  him  retire  in  apparent  confusion,  pressed 


n«:^ 


108 


KLYG  'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


forwartl,  untlcr  W\\\.  of  drum  aiul  bii^lo  char^fis  in  pursuit, 
but  in  consitlerablo  disoriliT,  slututiti^r;  "  Ilu/./.a  tor  King 
Georj^e !  "  On  approachin*^  within  seventy  yards  of  the 
American  lines,  thi-y  were  unexpectedly  met  w  ilh  a  di-adly 
Hre,  from  which  they  at  lirst  recoiled.  But  their  superi- 
ority in  numbers  enabled  them  to  continue  their  attack, 
notwithstanding  the  advantage  which  the  breast-work 
gave  the  Americans.  A  strong  force,  composed  of  the 
I'rovincials,  led  on  by  Innes  and  Fraser,  forming  the 
enemy's  left  wing,  drove,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 
the  riirht  win<r  under  Shelby  from  their  breast-work. 
It  was  a  desperate  struggle — Shelby's  men  contending 
against  large  odds,  and  the  right  flank  of  his  right  wing 
gradually  giving  away,  whilst  his  left  Hank  maintained  its 
connection  with  the  centre  at  the  breast-work.  The  lelt 
wing,  opposed  by  the  Tories,  retained  its  position  ;  and,  see- 
ing Shelby  in  need  of  vsuccor,  Clarke  sent  his  small  reserve 
to  his  aid,  which  proved  a  most  timely  relief.  At  this  criti- 
cal moment,  as  Innes  was  forcing  Shelby's  right  flank.,  the 
British  leader  was  badly  disabled,  fell  from  his  charger,  and 
was  carried  back — shot,  it  was  reported,  by  one  of  the 
Watauga  volunteers,  William  Smith,  who  exultingly  ex- 
claimed, '•  Ive  killed  their  commander,"  when  Slu'lby 
rallied  his  men,  who  raised  a  regular  frontier  Indian  yell, 
and  rushed  furiously  upon  the  enemy,  who  were  gradually 
forced  back  before  tlie  exasperated  riflemen.  Culbertson's 
flanking  party  acted  a  conspicuous  part  on  this  occasion. 

It  was  unfortunate  for  the  enemy,  thai,  in  this  desperate 
contest,  one  Captain  was  killed,  and  five  out  of  seven  of  the 
surviving  officers  of  their  Provincial  corps  were  wounded. 
Besides  Innes,  shot  down  by  Smith,  another  Watauga  rifle- 
man, Robert  Beene,  wounded  Major  Fraser,  who  was  seen 
to  reel  iVom  his  horse.  Captain  Campbell,  together  with 
Lieutenants  Camp  and  William  Chew,  were  also  among 
the  wounded.* 


I 


-'Colonel  Iniies  was  n  Scotchman.     He  was  probably  a /ro/c^c  of  his  countryman,   Alex- 
ander Cameron,  the  British  Indian  Agent  among  x\  •  t  hcrokees  ;  ami  was,  ii  woulj appear, 


AND  ITS  niUiOI'S. 


109 


These;  lieavy  losses  had  a  \  cry  cUshearteniiiff  clVect  upon 
the  Hritish  troops.  And  Uie  Tories,  failiiii,'  to  make  any 
impression  on  Clarke's  line,  and  ha\  ini^  aln-ady  lost  sevi>ral 
of  their  ollieers,  and  many  ofllu-ir  men,  bej^an  to  show  sij^ns 
ot"  wavering,  when  Captain  Ilawsi'v,  a  noted  leader  among 
them,  who  was  striving  to    re-animate    the    Loyalists,  and 


In  di 


retrieve  the  fortimes  of  the  day,  was  shot  down,  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion  that  followed,  Clarke  and  his  brave 
nu'n,  following  Shelby's  example,  pushed  forth  from  their 
barrier,  yelling,  shooting  and  slashing  on  everv  hand.  It 
was  in  the  nic!6i\  when  the  liritish  defeat  was  too  appare-nt, 
that  the  Tory  Colonel  Clary  had  the  opposite  bits  of  ids 
horse's  bridle  seized  at  the  same  moment  by  two  stalwart 
Whigs.  lie  had,  however,  the  ingenuity  anil  presence  of 
mind  to  extricate  himself  tVom  his  perilous  situation  by 
exclaituing — "  I) — n  you,  don't  you  know  ^our  own 
olFicers  I  "  lie  was  instantly  released,  and  lU-d  at  full  speed.* 
The  British  and  Tories  were  now  in  full  retreat,  closely 
followed  by  the  intrepid  mountaineers.  It  was  in  this  excit- 
ing jiursuit  that  die  courageous  Captain  Inman  was  killed, 
while  pressing  the  enemy,  and  lighting  them  hand-to- 
hand,  lie  received  seven  shots  from  the  Tories,  one, 
a  nuisketball,  piercing  his  forehead.  He  fell  near  the  base 
of  a  Spanish  oak  that  stood  where  the  modern  road  leaves 
till'  old  mill  road,   and    where  his  grave  was  still  pointed 


.111  assistant  commissary  at  tlie  I.nn;;  Island  nf  Ilnlstnn,  at  one  time;  and  in  the  fall  of 
1777.  ri-'liirncd  to  the  Chcrnkee  nation,  taking  up  liis  iiiiarttrs  with  Cameron.  He  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  South  Carolina  Royalists,  J.uiuary  20,  1780;  in  17S2,  he  was 
Inspector  (Jeiicral  of  the  Loyalist  forces.  Colonel  llanyer,  in  his  Ri'/'ly  to  Mackcn/ie's 
Struturcs  states  that  Innes  was  living  retired  in  1789,  prohahly  on  half-pay. 

Of  Major  Frascr,  who  was  wonndcd  in  this  engagement,  wc  have  no  further  knowl- 
edge. Captain  Camphell  was  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  settled  in  New  Brunswick,  after 
pe.ice  was  declared,  on  half-pay,  dying  in  Maiigersvillc  in  that  Colony  in  1822,  and  was 
hiiried  at  Frcdcrickton.  Lieutenant  Chew  retired  at  the  close  of  the  war,  on  half-pay,  to 
New  Brunswick,  dying  at  Frcdcrickton,  in  1812,  aged  sixty-four.  Of  Lieutenant  Camp's 
career,  before  or  after  the  affair  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  we  have  no  information. 

*  Colonel  Clarey  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Ninety  Si.x  District;  and  surviving  the 
war,  remained  in  the  country.  Notwithstanding  his  great  error  in  siding  with  the  Tories, 
he  was  greatly  beloveil.  and.  in  after  life,  performed  all  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen,  until 
peacefully  gathered  to  his  fithcrs.  Ilir  had,  a  few  years  since,  a  grandson,  Colonel  Clary, 
living  in  Edgefield  County,  and  other  decendants. 


i 


.  I 


110 


KING'S  MOUNTAfN 


BATTLE  RIOGE 


NOREE  PIVER 


out  huL  ;i  lew  3-ciirs  since.  Groat  credit  is  justly  due  to 
Capliiiu  lunuui  for  liie  suici'ssful  manner  in  whicli  he 
bn)u<;lit  on  the  action,  and  the  aid  he  rendered  in  con- 
ducting  it  to   a  triumphant  issue. 

The  yells  and  screeches 
of  tile  retreating  iJrilish  and 
Tories  as  they  ran  through 
tlu'  woods,  anil  over  the  hills 
to  the  river  —  loudly  inter- 
mingK>d  witli  the  shouts  of 
thi'ir  pursuiMs,  togctlu'r  vvitli 
the  groans  of  the  d}ing  and 
wounded,  were  terrilic  and 
heart-rending  in  the  ex- 
triMue.     '^The  smoke,  as  well 

Plat  nfRocionn.-arMi.scrovcs  Mill,  '^■'^      ••'l'-'     ^^''^      '"*''      COUlusion, 

A.    (Ir.ivis.      It.    \Vlier<-  C|. tain  linii;iii  wan  ,.,.^,,,   l,:,fl,    .,K,n-,  >   j  Iw.  ,.  vi-i  I  iii.r 
kilkcl.aHlic  junction  of  the  old  and  new  roads,  l**^*^     '''t>''    'IDON  l     IIU,  CXLlling 

scene,  '^Fiie  Toiies  ceased  to  niakt'  any  show  of  defcMise 
when  half  w:>v  from  the  breast-works  to  the  ford.  The 
retreat  tiien  becinie  a  jH-rlect  rout :  and  now,  witii  ri'ck- 
less  s|)eed.  tliev  hastem-d  to  the  ri\-er,  througii  which  they 
rusheil  with  the  wildest  fury,  hotl\-  pursued  by  the  victorious 
Am.Micans  with  sword  and  rille,  killing,  wounding  or  cap- 
turing all  who  came  in  their  wa\'. 

Many  of  the  British  and  Tories  were  shot  down  as  tlu^y 
were  hastening,  jiell-mell,  acrt)ss  the  Enoree  at  the  rocky 
forth  Atu-r  tiu'v  were  fairly  o\er.  oiu',  not  yet  too  weary 
to  e.in.i-  iiis  bravado,  and  attract  altiMition  for  tlu'  moment, 
turned  up  his  buttock  in  derision  at  the  Americans  ;  when 
otie  of  (he  Wiiig  ollicers,  probably  l»randon  or  Steen,  said 


to  Golding  Tinsley 


L'an"t  vou  turn  that  insolent  brag- 


\^nv,f\   service   in   the  up  country  of  South   C.irolinn 
n  '.'ulprper  County,  Vir^;inia.  in  or  about  175''),  as  stated  iti 
his  pension    papers,  and  settled   in   South   Carolina  about    1771.     Ue  early  served   in   the 


♦'I'his  old  snldier,  who  did 
dnrii>L;  the  Ucvolulion,  was  born  i 


RanRcrs.     Uo  participated  iu  the  battle  of  Stouo,  the  sci^c  o 


;.f  Sa 


nab,  and  look  an  active 


p.irl  in  the  actions  at  Miis^;rovc's   Mill.  K.inn's   M(Mintain,  and    lilacKstocks,     lie    had   tw( 


Irothcrs  killed  by  the   I'nri' 


llir  I'. 


ircsl  region  during  the  war.      Me  lived  to  enjoy 


a  pension,  dyin^  in  Spartanburg  County,  May  nth,  1IS51,  aged  about  nineiy-nve  yean. 


AND  ITS  Iff. ROES. 


Ill 


gart 


over : 


T  can  try,"   ri-spoiukd  l^inslcy,  who  was 


>n()wn  to  possess  a  Lfood  nlk-,  wlicii,  siuliiii;' 


ll 


u'    action    to 


the  word,  he  took  prompt  aim,  and  lirinl — and  snre  enoni^h, 
Itirncd  him  r^zw,  when  some-  of  his  eonuades  picked  the 
fellow  np,  and  carried  him  oil'.  Another  instance  of  sharp- 
shootiniT  '^i  mentioned:  One  of  tiic  eneiin,  who  iiad  re- 
crossed  the  ford,  betook  himself  to  a  convenient  tre(>,  which, 
however,  did  not  fully  protect  his  person,  for  'i'homas 
GilK's|-»ie,  one  of  tlie  \Vatan<:ja  rilleinen,  brouglit  his  rillc  to 
bear  on  tlie  Tory's  partially  exposed  body,  and  the  next 
moment  lie  liit  the  dnst. 

it  is  related,  that  while  the  llrini;-  was  yet  kej^t  np,  on 
the  noilhsitle  of  the  Enoree,  an  intrepid  iVontierman,  Cap- 
tain vSam  Moore,  led  a  small  party  of  ten  or  twelve  nu-n 
lip  the  river,  and  crossing;"  the  stream  at  Heads  I'ord, 
rushed  down  upon  a  portion  ol"  the  encm\'  with  such  im- 
pelu(>sit\'  and  audacity  as  to  impress  them  with  tlu'  bi'lief 
that  tliev  wi're  hut  the  vanguard  of  a  nuicli  laii^er  force, 
when  they  incontinently  fled,  and  Moore  rejoined  his 
victorious  friiMids  over  the  ri\i'r. 

Some  inlerestin;^  incidents  connecteil  with,  ami  follow- 
intj  the  battle,  deservi'  a  place  in  this  connection.  So  many 
of  tlu'  Ih-itish  and  'i'ory  reserve  as  could,  mounted  to  the 
top  of  AFus^rovt-'s  house,  that  tlu'\-  mii^ht  witness  the  con- 
test, not  doubtin<^  for  a  momi'ut  that  King  George's  men 
could  and  would  bear  down  all  before  them.  They  saw  the 
heroic  Imnan  deliver  his  successive  (ires  and  retri'at.  fol- 
hnvt'd  closely  by  Innes' pursuers  ;  and  su]")posi'd  this  little 
hand  constituted  the  whole  of  tlu'  Rebel  jiarty.  To  liieso 
house-lop  obsi'rvt>rs,  the  bold  inv;;ders  were  beaten  back  — 
routed  ;  when  the)-  threw  up  tlu'lr  hats,  indulging  in  shouts 
that  iTiade  the  old  hill  in  the  rear  of  Musgrove's  resound 
again,  witli  (>choes  and  re-echoes,  in  connni'moration  of 
their  imaginary  victory.  At  length,  reaching  the  conceaK'd 
Whigs,  a  tremendous  fu'e  biu'st  upon  their  pursuits,  which 
caused  a  deathly  paleness  on  the  countenance  of  some  fifty 


112 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


of  the  reserve  party,  who  \vore  it  was  saici,  paroled  British 
prisoners,  doing  duty  contrary  to  the  huvs  of  war — they, 
especially,  dreading  the  consequences  of  a  possible  capture 
at  the  hands  of  the  Americans.  Their  shoutings  ceased — 
thev  peered  anxiously,  with  bated  breath,  towards  the  con- 
tending parties.  At  length  they  raised  the  cry  of  despair: 
"We  are  beaten  —  our  men  are  retreating;"  and  long 
before  the  Tories  had  re-crossed  the  river,  these  demoral- 
ized Britons  had  seized  their  knap-sacks,  and  were  scam- 
pering otT  towards  Ninety  Six  at  their  liveliest  speed. 

The  large  patrolling  party  which  had  been  down  the 
river  near  Jones'  Ford,  heard  the  liring,  and  came  dashing 
back  at  full  speed  ;  and  while  Jescending  the  steep  hill, 
east  of  the  old  Musgrove  domicile,  their  bright  uniforms 
and  flashing  blades  and  scabbards  reflected  the  rays  of  the 
morning  sun  just  rising  in  its  splendor.  They  reined  up 
their  panting  steeds  betbre  Musgrove's,  the  commanding 
ollicer  eagerly  iiu[uiring  what  was  the  matter.  A  hurried 
account  of  the  battle  was  given,  which  had  terminated  so 
disastrously  some  thirty  minutes  betbre  ;  when,  rising  in  his 
stirrups,  and  uttering  deep  and  loud  imprecations,  the  cav- 
alry commander  ordered  his  men  to  cross  the  river.  They 
daslied  at  full  speed  over  the  rocky  ford,  splashing  the 
water,  \\'hich,  with  the  resplendent  sun-rays,  produced 
miniature  rainbows  around  the  horses.  The}-  were  too  late, 
for  the  victorious  Americans  had  retired  with  their  prison- 
ers, leaving  the  Britisli  troopers  the  melancholy  duty  of 
conveying  their  wounded  fellons  to  the  hospital  at  Mus- 
grove's. 

For  many  miles  around,  every  woman  and  child  of  the 
surrounding  country,  who  were  able  to  leave  their  homes, 
visited  the  battle-ground  —  some  for  plunder,  some  from 
curiosity,  and  others  for  a  diflerent  purpose.  It  was  chiefly 
a  Tory  region,  the  few  Whigs  having  retired  from  motives 
of  personal  safety,  joining  Sumter  and  other  popular  lead- 
ers.    The  most  of  these  visitors  were  of  Loyalist  families ; 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


113 


and  it  was  interesting  to  witness  them,  as  well  as  the  few 
Whig  ladies  present,  turning  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain, 
earnestly  examining  their  faces,  to  see  if  they  could  recog- 
nize a  father,  husband,  son,  or  brother.  Not  a  few  went 
away  with  saddened  hearts,  and  eyes  bedewed  with  tears. 

Sixteen  Tories  were  said  to  have  been  buried  in  one 
grave,  near  the  mouth  of  Cedar  Shoal  creek — the  particular 
spot  long  since  defaced  and  forgotten.  Several  were  in- 
terred between  the  battle-ground  and  ford,  but  a  stone's 
throw  below  where  George  Gordon  resided  some  thirt}-  }ears 
since,  on  the  west  side  of  the  old  road ;  while  others  were 
buried  in  the  yard  of  the  late  Captain  Philemon  Waters, 
midway  between  the  ford  and  battle-field,  opposite  the  dog- 
wood spring,  and  others  yet  were  buried  in  a  grave-yard, 
just  below  Musgrove's  house.  A  burial  spot  is  still  pointed 
out  on  the  battle-ridge,  just  east  of  the  old  road. 

It  was  a  complete  rout  on  the  part  of  the  British  and 
Tories.  They  seem  to  have  apprehended,  that  the  Whig 
forces,  in  the  flush  of  victor}-,  might  push  on  to  Ninety  Six, 
then  believed  to  be  in  a  weak  and  defenceless  condition. 
The  Tory  leader.  Fanning,  states,  that  after  the  battle,  the 
British  retreated  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  where  they  encamped 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day  ;  and,  in  the  night,  marclied 
off  towards  Ninety  Six,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
De  Peyster.  This  probably  refers  to  only  a  part  of  the 
enemy  ;  for  the  larger  portion  must  have  remained,  if  for 
nothing  else,  at  least  to  take  care  of  their  wounded. 
Another  British  writer,  INIackenzie,  represents,  that  in  the 
retreat  from  the  battle-ground,  they  were  conducted  by 
Captain  Kerr  to  the  southern  bank  of  die  Enoree,  where 
they  remained  till  reinforced  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Cruger 
from  Ninety  Six,  "  Captain  Kerr,"  says  the  Georgia  his- 
torian, McCall,  "finding  that  resistance  would  be  in  vain, 
and  without  hope  of  success,  ordered  a  retreat,  which  was 
effected  in  close  order  for  four  miles,  resorting  to  the  bayo- 
net for  defence  in  flank  and  rear.     The  pursuit  was  con- 


114 


KIXG'S  MOUNTAIN 


tinned  by  ^lie  victors,  until  the  enemy  took  refuge  in  Mus- 
grove's  Mill,"  which  \\;is  on  the  south  side  of  the  Enoree,  in 
the  north-east  corner  of  the  present  county  of  Laurens, 
noted  on  Mills'  A/ /as  of  South  Carol/' lui  as  Gordon's  Mill. 

Colonel  Williams'  oflicial  account  represents  that  the 
main  WA\i — the  one  at  the  breast-work — lasted  only  lifteen 
minutes,  when  the  enemy  were  obliged  to  retreat,  and  were 
pursued  two  miles  ;  and  that  Colonel  Innes  was  reported  to 
be  wounded  by  two  balls — one  in  the  neck  and  the  other 
breaking  the  thigh  —  and  that  three  Tory  Captains  were 
slain.  "The  enemy  declared  they  sutTered  exceedingly  in 
the  action  with  Colonel  Williams  ;  that  Captain  Campbell, 
an  officer  in  high  repute,  of  the  regulars,  among  others, 
was  killed,"*  and  Governor  Rutledge  confirms  the  fact  that 
*•  one  British  Captain  "  was  among  tue  slain. 

Shelby  states,  that  the  action  continued  an  hour  before 
the  enemy  were  repulsed  in  front  of  the  breast-work  ;  while 
McCall  asserts,  that  it  was  "but  a  few  minutes  after  the 
contest  began,  when  so  many  of  the  Provincial  ofiicers  were 
either  killed  or  wounded,  and  "the  men  tumbled  down  in 
heaps,  without  the  power  of  resistance,"  when  the  survivors 
retreated  under  Captain  Kerr.f  Probably  Colonel  Williams' 
recollection  of  the  length  of  the  battle  before  the  retreat, 
written  within  a  few  days  thereafter,  is  approximately  cor- 
rect ;  and  possibly  well  nigh  an  hour  may  have  been  con- 
sumed by  the  time  the  enemy  were  driven  across  the  ford,  and 
took  refuge  in  the  mill.  "This  action,"  says  Colonel  Hill's 
manuscript,  "  was  one  of  the  hardest  ever  fought  in  the 
country  with  small  arms  alone  ;  the  smoke  was  so  thick  as 

♦Statement  in  I'lrginiit  Cizette.  September  27th.  1780.  of  Willi.im  Allmnn.  of  Colonel 
Sliihtilcfield's  regiment  of  Virijinia  militi:i,  who  was  captured  al  Gates'  defeat,  and  subse- 
quently escaped  from  Camden. 

t  Captain  James  Kerr  was  probably  a  resident  of  Long  Island  or  Connecticut,  from 
whose  refu,i;ees  most  of  tlie  Queen's  Rangers  were  raised,  in  which  corps  he  was  a  Captain. 
After  the  war,  he  retired  on  half  pay,  first  to  New  Brunswick,  and  then  10  Kings  i:oiinty. 
Nova  Scotia,  where  he  was  made  Colonel  of  the  militia.  He  died  at  Amherst,  in  that 
Province,  in  1S30,  at  the  .age  of  seventy-six.  leaving  a  widow,  who  survived  him  ten  years, 
dying  at  seventy-four.  Three  sons  and  a  daughter  preceded  him  to  the  grave,  but  twelve 
children  survived  him. 


'.f"  w 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


115 


to  hide  II  man  at  the  distance  of  twent}'  rods."  Shelby 
described  this  battle  as  "the  hardest  and  best  fought  action 
he  ever  was  in  " — attributing  this  valor  and  persistency  to 
"the  great  number  of  officers  who  were  with  him  as  volun- 
teers." 

It  must  be  confessed,  that  the  Provincials  and  Tories, 
before  their  final  rout,  fought  braveh'.  Their  dragoons, 
but  lately  raised,  and  indifferently  disciplined,  behaved  with 
much  gallantry,  figlUing  on  the  left  with  Innes.  They  all 
exhibited,  more  or  less,  the  training  they  had  received 
under  that  superior  master,  Ferguson.  Tiie  British  loss,  in 
this  afTair,  was  sixty-three  killed,  about  ninety  woimded, 
and  seventy  prisoners — a  total  of  not  far  from  two  hundred 
and  twenty-three,  out  of  four  or  five  hundred,  which  is  an 
unusually  large  proportion  for  the  number  engaged  in  the 
action.  The  American  loss  was  only  four  killed  and  eight 
or  nine  wounded.  This  disparity  in  killed  and  woundeu, 
resulted  largely  from  over-shooting*  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  decided  advantage  which  the  trees  and 
breast-works  afforded  the  Whigs  for  their  protection.  The 
skill  of  the  fronticrmen  in  the  use  of  their  rifles  was  never 
better  displayed  nor  more  effective ;  while,  in  the  retreat, 
the  loss  fell  almost  exclusively  on  the  panic-stricken  Britisli 
and  Tories. 

Anxious  to  impro\e  the  advantage  they  had  so  signally 
gained,  Shelby  and  his  heroic  compeers  at  once  resolved  to 
pursue  the  demoralized  Tories,  and  make  a  dash  for  Ninety 
Six,  which   they  iearned  was  in   a  weak   condition  ;    and 


*  Richard  Thompson,  of  Fair  Forest,  when  a  boy  of  some  twelve  or  fourteen  years, 
while  on  liis  way  with  liis  mother  to  visit  his  father,  tlien  imprisoned  at  Ninety  Six.  passed 
over  the  hatlle-ground  at  M  nsgrove's  a  few  days  after  its  octurreme,  and  ohserved  the 
hnllet  marks  on  the  trees — those  of  the  Ilrilish  and  Tories  generally  indicating  an  aim  ahovc 
the  heads  of  tlie:r  antagonists,  while  tlmse  f>f  the  Whigs  were  from  three  to  five  feet  ahovc 
the  gronnd.  He  learned  from  his  father  and  other  prisoners  at  Ninety  Six.  that  the  fugi- 
tives reported  the  Whig  strengtli  in  that  action  as  five  thousand;  and  sui  h  was  the  con- 
sternation of  the  ga-rison  of  Ninety  Six  on  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  hattle,  that  had  the 
victorious  Whigs  showed  themselves  there,  it  would  have  heen  dilTicult  for  Colonel  Cruger 
and  his  officers  to  have  prevented  a  general  stampede. — Saye's  MSB.,  and  Memoir  of 
Mcjunkin, 


no 


KING '  S  J/0  UNTALV 


being  only  some  twenty-five  miles  distant,  they  could  easily 
teach  there  before  night.  Returning  to  their  horses,  and 
momiting  them,  while  Shelby  was  consulting  Colonel 
Clarke,  Francis  Jones,  an  express  from  Colonel  McDowell, 
rode  up,  in  great  haste,  with  a  letter  in  his  hand  from  Gen- 
eral Caswell,  who  had,  on  the  sixteenth,  shared  in  General 
Gates'  total  defeat  near  Camden,  apprising  McDowell  of 
the  great  disaster,  and  advising  him  and  all  officers  com- 
manding detachments  to  get  out  of  me  way,  or  they  would 
be  cut  off;  McDowell  sending  word  that  he  would  at  once 
move  towards  Gilbert  Town.  General  Caswell's  hand- 
writing was  fortunately  familiar  to  Colonel  Shelby,  so  he 
knew  it  was  no  Tory  trick  attempted  to  be  played  ofl'  upon 
them.  He  and  his  associates  instantly  saw  the  difficulty  of 
their  situation  ;  they  could  not  retire  to  McDowell's  camp, 
for  his  force  was  no  lonijer  there — Gates'  army  was  killed, 
captured  and  scattered — and  Sumter's,  too,  was  soon  desdned 
to  meet  the  same  fate  ;  in  their  rear  was  Cruger,  with  what- 
ever of  Innes'  and  Eraser's  detachments  remained,  with 
Ferguson's  strong  force  on  their  flank.  There  was  no 
clioice — further  conquests  were  out  of  tlie  quesdon.  So 
Ninety  Six  was  left  unvisited  by  the  mountaineers — doubt- 
less for  them,  a  fortunate  circumstance,  as  they  were  with- 
out cannon,  and  Colonel  Cruger,  who  commanded  there, 
was  no  Patrick  Moore,  as  his  brave  defence  of  that  garri- 
son against  General  Greene  and  his  thousands,  the  following 
year,  sufficiently  attested.  It  was,  therefore,  determined  in 
a  hasty  council  on  horseback,  that  they  would  take  a  back- 
woods route,  to  avoid  and  escape  Ferguson,  and  join  Colo- 
nel McDowell  on  his  retreat  towards  Gilbert  Town. 

Hurriedly  gathering  the  prisoners  together,  and  dis- 
tributing one  to  every  three  of  the  Americans,  who  conveyed 
them  alternately  on  horseback,  requiring  each  captive  to 
carry  his  gun,  divested  of  its  ffint,  the  whole  cavalcade 
were  ready  in  a  few  minutes  to  beat  a  retreat,  as  they  knew 
full  well  that  Ferguson  would  be  speedily  apprised  of  their 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


11' 


success,  and  make  a  strenuous  effort,  as  he  did  at  Wotlbrd's 
Iron  Works,  to  regain  the  prisoners.  Here  an  amusing 
incident  occurred.  Riding  along  the  ranks,  viewing  the 
prisoners,  Colonel  Williams  recognized  among  them  an  old 
acquaintance  in  the  person  of  Saul  Ilinson,  ver}'  diminutive 
in  size,  who  had  the  previous  year  served  under  his  com- 
mand at  the  battle  of  Stono,  when  the  Colonel  pleasantly 
exclaimed:  "Ah  I  my  little  Sauly,  have  we  caught  you?"" 
"Yes,  Colonel,"  replied  the  little  man,  "  and  no  d — d  great 
catch  either  ! '"  Saul's  repartee  only  caused  a  laugh,  and 
neither  that  nor  his  false  position  subjected  him  to  any  thing 
beyond  the  common  restraint  of  a  prisoner. 

Some  of  the  few  wounded,  who  were  not  able  to  ride, 
were  necessarily  left ;  and,  it  is  pleasant  to  add,  the}-  were 
humanely  cared  for  by  the  British,  and  especially  by  the 
Musgrove  family.  Among  them  was  one  Miller,  shot 
through  the  body,  whose  injuries  were  believed  to  be  mortal. 
A  silk  handkerchief  was  drawn  through  the  wound  to  cleanse 
it.  His  parents,  from  the  lower  part  of  the  present  county 
of  Laurens,  obtained  the  services  of  an  old  physician.  Dr. 
Ross,  to  attend  to  their  wounded  son,  though  it  is  believed 
the  British  surgeons  were  not  wanting  in  their  professional 
attentions.     He  at  length  recovered. 

The  Whig  troopers,  encumbered  with  their  prisoners, 
now  hurried  rapidly  away  in  a  north-westerly  direction, 
instead  of  a  north-easterly  one  towards  their  old  encamp- 
ment. The}-  passed  over  a  rough,  broken  country,  crossing 
the  forks  of  Tj-ger,  leaving  Ferguson  on  the  right,  and 
headinji  their  course  towards  their  own  friendlv  mountains. 
As  they  expected,  they  were  rapidly  piu\sued  by  a  strong 
detachment  of  Ferguson's  men.*  Wearied  as  the  mountain- 
eers and  their  horses  were,  with  scarcely  any  refreshment 
for  either,  yet  Shelby's  indomitable  energy  permitted  them 

♦This  detachment  could  not  have  been  led  by  Captain  De  Peyster.  as  supposed  by 
Colonel  Shelby,  for  that  officer,  as  the  Tory  annalist,  Fanning,  asserts,  accompanied  him 
from  Miisgrove's  to  Ninety  Six  the  night  after  the  battle,  doubtless  to  notify  Cruger  of  the 
disaster,  and  obtain  reinforcements. 


■mk 


;  * 


I! 


'f-i 
ml 


I'  I 


Im'm 


m 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


no  rest  while  clangor  lurkod  in  the  way.  Once  or  twice 
only  they  tarried  a  hrief  period  to  feed  tlieir  faithful 
horses  ;  relyinj^f,  for  their  own  sustenance,  on  peaches  and 
green  corn — the  latter  pulled  from  the  stalks,  and  eaten  in 
its  raw  state  as  the}-  took  their  turn  on  horse-back,  or  trotted 
on  foot  along  the  trail,  and  which,  in  their  hungry  condi- 
tion, they  pronounced  delicious.  They  were  enabled,  now 
and  then,  to  snatch  a'  refreshing  draught  frotn  the  rocky 
streams  which  they  forded. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  eighteenth,  Ferguson's  party 
reached  the  spot  where  the  Whigs  hud,  less  than  thirty  min- 
utes before,  fed  their  weary  liorses  ;  but  not  knowing  how 
long  they  had  been  gone,  and  their  own  detachment  being 
exhausted,  they  relinquished  further  pursuit.  Not  aware  of 
this,  the  Americans  kept  on  their  tedious  retreat  all  night, 
and  the  following  day,  passing  the  North  IVger,  and  into 
the  confmes  of  North  Carolina — sixty  miles  from  the  battle- 
iield,  and  one  hundred  from  Smith's  Ford,  from  which  they 
had  started,  without  making  a  stop,  save  long  enough  to 
defeat  the  enemy  at  Musgrove's.  It  was  a  remarkable 
instance  of  unflagging  endurance,  in  the  heat  of  a  south- 
ern summer,  and  encumbered,  as  they  were,  with  seventy 
prisoners.  No  wonder,  that  after  forty-eight  hours  of  such 
excessive  fadgue,  nearly  all  the  oflicers  and  soldiers  became 
so  exhausted,  that  their  faces  and  eyes  were  swollen  and 
bloated  to  that  degree  that  they  were  scarcely  able  to  see. 

Reaching  the  mountain  region  in  safety,  they  met  Colo- 
nel McDowell's  party,  considerably  diminislied  in  numbers, 
as  we  may  well  suppose.  Colonel  Slielby,  with  the  appro- 
bation of  Major  Robertson,  now  proposed  that  an  army  of 
volunteers  be  raised  on  both  sides  of  the  mountains,  in  suffi- 
cient numbers,  to  cope  with  Ferguson.  All  of  the  officers, 
and  some  of  the  privates,  were  consulted,  and  all  heartily 
united  in  the  propriety  and  feasibility  of  the  undertaking. 
It  was  agreed  that  the  Musgrove  prisoners  should  be  sent 
to  a  place  of  security  ;  that  the  over-mountain  men  should 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


119 


return  home  to  recruit  and  strcngthtMi  llieir  numbers  ;  wliile 
Colonel  McDowell  should  send  an  express  to  Colonels 
Cleveland  and  Ilerndon,  of  Wilkes,  and  Major  Winston,  of 
Surry,  inviting  and  urging  them  to  raise  volunteers,  and 
join  in  the  enterprise  ;  and  that  Colonel  McDowell  should, 
furthermore,  devise  the  best  means  to  preserve  the  beef 
stock  of  the  Whigs  of  the  Upper  Catawba  valleys  and 
coves,  which  would  undoubtedly  be  an  early  object  of  Fer- 
guson's attention  ;  and  McDowell  was,  moreover,  to  obtain 
information  of  the  enemy's  movements,  and  keep  the  over- 
mountain  men  constantly  apprised  of  them.* 

As  the  term  of  service  of  their  men  having  expired, 
Colonel  Shelby  and  Major  Robertson,  with  their  Holston 
and  Watauga  volunteers,  parted  company  with  Colonel 
Clarke,  leaving  the  prisoners  in  his  charge,  and  took  the 
trail  which  led  to  their  homes  over  the  Alleghanies.  Colo- 
nels McDowell  and  Hampton,  with  their  Burke  and  Ruth- 
erford followers,  now  less  than  two  hundred  in  number, 
remained  in  the  Gilbert  Town  region  till  forced  back  b}-  the 
arrival  of  Ferguson  shortly  alter.  Colonel  Clarke,  after 
continuing  some  distance  on  his  route,  concluded  to  take 
the  mountain  trails  and  return  to  Georgia,  transferring  the 
prisoners  to  Colonel  Williams,  who,  with  Captain  Ham- 
mond, conducted  them  safely  to  Hillsboro.  There,  meeting 
Governor  Rutledge,  of  South  Carolina,  who  supposing 
Williams  had  the  chief  command  of  the  expedition,  as  his 
report  was  so  worded  as  to  convey  that  idea,  conferred  on 
him  as  a  reward  for  the  gallant  achievement,  the  commis- 
sion of  a  Briijadier-General  in  the  South  Carolina  militia 
service,  and,  at  the  same  time,  promoted  Captain  Ham- 
mond to  the  rank  of  a  Major.  Rut  Shelby,  Clarke,  Bran- 
don, Steen,  McCall,  McDowell,  and  Mcjunkin,  wlio  battled 
so  manfully  at  Musgrove's,  were  kept  in  the  back-ground, 
receiving  no  merited  honors  for  their  services  and  their  suf- 

♦MS.  Statements  of  Major  Joseph  McDowell,  and  Captain  David  Vance,  preserved  by 
the  late  Robert  Henry,  of  Buncombe  Co.,  N.  C,  and  both  participants  in  this  expedition. 


120 


KING '  S  xMO  UNTAIN 


fcririf^'s  ;  yet  they,  nevertheless,  continued  faithfully  to  serve 
their  country  without  a  murmur. 

Lord  Cornvvallis,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  wrote 
to  Sir  Henry  Clinton:  "Ferguson  is  to  move  into  Tryon 
count}'  with  some  militia,  whom  he  says  he  is  sure  he  can 
depend  upon  for  doing  their  dut}',  and  fighting  well  ;  but  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  that  li.'s  ozvn  i\\pcricnct\  as  well  as  that  of 
every  other  othcer,  is  totally  against  him."*  This  is  a  tacit 
acknowledgment,  that  Ferguson's  detachments  were  deci- 
dedly worsted  in  the  several  affairs  at  Cedar  Spring,  with 
Colonel  Jones  beyond  the  head-waters  of  Saluda,  at  Earle's 
Ford,  near  Wofford's  Iron  Works,  and  at  Musgrove's.  So 
good  a  judge  of  military  matters  as  Lord  Cornvvallis  would 
not  have  made  such  a  report,  had  not  the  disastrous  results 
extorted  the  reluctant  confession. 

Some  comparison  of  the  principal  authorities  consulted, 
which  appear  more  or  less  contradictory  in  their  character, 
ma}'  not  inappropriately  be  made  in  concluding  this  chap- 
ter. Dawson,  vaguely  referring  to  the  Shelby  statements, 
says  they  "  difTer  so  much  from  the  contemporary  reports, 
that  I  have  not  noticed  them."  Colonel  Shelby  was  in 
every  sense  a  real  hero  in  war,  and  the  details  he  furnishes 
are  no  doubt  reliable.  But  in  after  life,  he  appears,  perhaps 
imperceptibly,  little  by  little,  to  have  magnified  the  num- 
bers, losses  and  prisoners  in  some  of  the  contests  in  which 
he  was  engaged — notably  so  of  the  Musgrove  affair.  The 
venerable  historian  of  Tennessee,  Dr.  J.  G.  M.  Ramsey, 
states  in  a  letter  before  the  writer,  that  he  closely  followed 
a  manuscript  narrative  of  Governor  Shelby  in  what  he 
records  of  the  battle  at  Musgrove's — the  same  that  Hay- 
wood  had  used  before  him  ;  in  which  the  British  force  is 
given  as  four  or  five  hundred,  reinforced  by  six  hundred 
under  Colonel  Innes  from  Ninety  Six,  not,  however,  stating 
the  strength  of  the  Whigs ;  that  more  than  two  hundred 
prisoners  were  taken,  with  a  loss  on  the  part  of  the  victors  of 
only  six  or  seven  killed.     In  his  statement  to  Hardin,  Colonel 

♦Correspondence  of  Connvallis.  i,  58-59, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


121 


Shelby  puts  botli  the  British  and  American  strength  at  about 
seven  huiuh'ed — the  former  reinforced  by  six  or  seven  hun- 
dred more  ;  that  over  two  hundred  of  the  enemy  were  killed, 
and  two  hundred  made  prisoners,  with  a  Whij^f  loss  of  Cap- 
tain Tniiian  and  thirty  others.  Colonel  Todd,  in  his  sketch 
of  his  fatlier-in-law.  Governor  Shelby,  <^ives  the  enemy's 
force  at  Musgrove's  at  five  or  six  hundred,  reinforced  by 
six  hundred  under  Innes  ;  but  discards  Shelby's  exaggerated 
account  of  losses  and  prisoners,  adopting  McCall's  instead. 
Colonel  Williams'  report,  on  the  other  hand,  gives  the 
American  force  at  two  hundred,  and  the  British  originally 
the  same,  rcinibrced  by  three  hundred,  killing  sixty  of  the 
enemy,  and  taking  seventy  prisoners,  while  the  Americans 
sustained  a  loss  of  onlv  four  killed,  and  seven  or  ei<rht 
wounded.  Governor  Abner  Nash,  of  North  Carolina, 
writing  September  tenth,  1780,  says:  "Colonel  Williams, 
of  South  Carolina,  two  da3-s  after  this  (Gates')  defeat,  with 
two  hundred  men,  engaged  four  hundred  of  the  British 
cavalry,  in  a  fair  open  field  light,  and  completely  defeated 
and  routed  them,  killing  sixt3'-threc  on  the  spot,  and  taking 
seventy-odd  prisoners,  mostly  British."  Orondates  Davis, 
a  prominent  public  character,  writing  from  Halifax,  North 
Carolina,  September  twenty-seventh,  17S0,  states:  "Colo- 
nel Williams,  of  South  Carolina,  three  [two]  days  after 
Gates'  defeat,  fell  in  with  a  party  of  the  enemy  near  Ninety 
Six,  and  gave  them  a  complete  drubbing,  killing  seventy 
on  the  spot,  and  taking  between  sixty  and  seventy  prison- 
ers, mostly  British,  with  the  loss  of  four  men  only."  These 
two  statements,  written,  doubtless,  on  Williams'  inf(>rm- 
ation,  appear  in  the  JVorth  Carolina  University  Magazine 
for  March,  1855.  McCall  speaks  of  the  British  force  as 
three  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  Americans  about  equal, 
stating  the  British  loss  at  sixty-three  killed,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  w^ounded  and  taken,  the  Americans  losing 
only  four  killed  and  nine  wounded  ;  while  Mills,  who  does 
not  report  the  numbers  engaged,  gives  the  British  loss  at 


122 


KING'S  MOUiXTAIN. 


w 


eighty-six  killed,  and  seventy -six  taken.  Major  James 
Sevier  stated  the  Whiir  force  at  two  hinuhcd  and  lilly,  as 
he  learned  it  from  iii.s  neighbors  who  partieipaled  in  the 
action  innnediately  alter  their  return  home ;  and  Major 
Mcjunkin  placed  the  British  strength  at  three  hundred,  and 
the  Americans  at  half  the  number. 

Siielby's  accounts,  and  those  who  follow  them,  give  the 
date  of  the  action  as  August  nineteenth  ;  but  the  eighteenth 
has  the  weight  of  authority  to  sustain  it — Williams'  report. 
Governor  Nash's  letter,  Si-ptember  tenth,  1780,  Ramsay's 
Rcvoliilion  in  South  Carolina,  '7^5'  Moidtrie,  Gordon, 
McCall,  Mills,  Lossing,  O'Neall,  and  Dawson. 


A'tf/r— Authorities  for  the  MiiSKrovu's  Mill  expedition:  Colonel  Williams'  report 
which  (ieneral  Oates,  September  5,  17S0,  forwarded  to  the  President  of  Congress,  pnb- 
lishcil  in  rcnnsylvaniiX  Packet,  September  23,  Massinliusetts  S/>y,  October  u.  London 
Chronicle,  December  21,  1780,  Scots'  Mus'i^inc,  December,  1780;  Almon's  Rtincmbyancer. 
xi,  87,  and  the  substance,  evidently  communicated  by  Governor  Rutledge,  in  Virginia 
dazctte,  September  13,  1780.  Ramsay's  I\e\iolution,  ii,  137:  Moiilirie's  Memoirs,  ii,  220; 
Mackenzie's  Strictures,  25-86;  Fanninf^'s  .XarratiTe,  i:!-i3;  Oordon's  Hiatory,  iii,  449; 
McCall's  (7('ori'/(j,  ii,  315-17,  Shelby's  accounts  in  Haywood's  ienmssee,  d^-dT,  Ramsey's 
I'eniiessee.  217-19;  American  U'/iig  A'ct/i'ki,  December,  1848;  Todd's  memoir  of  Shelby 
in  National  Portrait  Gallery,  and  in  Western  Monthly  Magazine  August  1836;  llrca/oale's 
Li/e  as  it  is,  51-52;  Wheeler's  North  Carolina,  11,57-58,  ito;  Hunter's  Sketches  1/  Western 
North  Carolina,  337-39.  Mills'  Statistics,  255-56.  764;  O'Neall's  History  Ne'.nlerry,  71,  265, 
312-13;  Lossing's  Field  Book,  ii,  444-45;  Dawson's  Battles,  \,  620-22;  Howe's  History 
Presbyterian  Church  cf  South  Carolina,  526.  MS,  papers  of  Robert  Henry.  Also  Sayc's 
Memoir  0/  Mcjiinkin,  and  Saye  MSS;  MSB  of  Dr.  John  H.  Logan,  furnishing  many 
traditions  from  the  Miisgrove  family;  Colonel  William  Mill's  MS.  Narrative  of  the  Mus- 
grove  atTair.  derived  ft om  "an  officer  of  high  standing"  who  participated  in  the  cng.ige- 
ment— the  date  and  details  going  to  show  that  Colonel  Shelby  was  his  authority:  they 
had  met  on  the  King's  Mountain  campaign.  Pension  statement  of  Captain  Joseph 
Hughes.  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  M.njor  James  Sevier,  son  of  Colonel  John  Sevier; 
also  with  Major  Tliom.ns  H.  Shelby,  son  of  Colonel  Isaac  Shelby,  and  Colonel  George 
Wilson,  of  Tennessee. 

The  pretended  narrative  of  Colonel  Samuel  Hammond,  in  Johnson's  Traditions,  has 
not  been  relied  on.  It,  for  instance,  refers  to  the  express,  who  brought  intelligence  of 
Gates'  defeat,  also  bringing  news  of  Sumter's  disaster  at  Fishing  Creek,  when,  in  fact,  it 
did  not  occur,  until  several  hours  Inter  of  the  same  day,  and  in  a  distant  county.  Colonel 
Hammond,  of  course,  never  wrote  anything  of  the  kind. 


AND  ITS  HEROES 


12;\ 


CHATTER    VTI. 


1780— Summer  and  Autumn. 


Incidents  of  the  I'p-iountry. — M,tjor  Edward  Musc^rovc. — Paddy  Carr 
and  Ihahs  Afus^/oxic. —  7 /it-  S/oty  of  Mary  Afiisi^roiu-. —  Sainuci 
Cloiuncy's  Adiunliirc.  —  W'illiain  h',nnidy's  I-'orays  A}:;ainst  the 
Tories.  —  foseph  Ifiii^lies'  Escape.  —  William  .Sharp  Baggini^  a 
Ihitish  and  Tory  Tarty.—  Tories'  .Ittack  on  Woods,  and  hoxo dearly 
he  sold  his  life. — Plundering  .Sam.  Iho'a'n. 

Sevoral  intiTL'stin^f  incidents  transpired  durini;  the  sum- 
mer and  early  autunui  of  1780,  in  the  region  of  the  present 
counties  of  Laurens,  Spartanburg,  and  Union,  while  Col<j- 
nel  Ferguson  yet  held  sway  in  that  quarter.  The  more 
striking  of  them  deserve  to  be  preserved  in  the  history  of 
the  times,  as  exhibiting  something  of  the  rancor  and  bitter- 
ness engendered  by  civil  warfare. 

Edward  Musgrove,  whose  name  has  been  perpetuated 
by  the  battle  just  narrated,  fought  near  his  residence,  was  a 
native  of  England,  and  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the 
upper  country  of  South  Carolina.  lie  had  received  a  good 
education,  and  was  bred  to  the  law.  Possessing  line  abili- 
ties, large  hospitality  and  benevolence,  he  was  a  practical 
surveyor,  giving  legal  advice,  and  drawing  business  papers 
for  all  who  needed  them,  for  many  miles  around.  He  was 
very  popular,  and  exceedingly  useful,  in  all  the  region,  of 
which  his  noted  mill  on  the  Enoree  was  the  center. 

Major  Musgrove,  for  he  bore  that  title,  was  a  man  a 
little  above  medium  height,  of  slender  lorm,  prematurely 
gray,  and  possessed  much  lirmness  and  decision  of  charac- 
ter. He  had  passed  the  period  of  active  life  when  the 
Revolutionary  war  commenced,  and  was  then  living  with 
his  third  wife — too  old  to  take  any  part  in  the  bloody  strife ; 


!}(i 


Iff' 


124 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


JQrqu 

IP 


but  with  trembling  lips,  he  plead  each  night  for  a  speedy 
return  of  peace  and  good  will  among  men.  He  lived  to 
see  his  prayers  answered,  dying  in  1792,  in  the  sevent}'- 
sixth  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  the  little  grave- 
yard, just  behind  the  site  of  his  house,  near  the  old  mill. 

Beaks  Musgrove  was  a  son  of  the  Major's  b}'  his  lirst 
wife.  Partaking  of  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  inspired  by 
such  British  leaders  as  the  Cunninghams  and  Colonel  Fer- 
guson, he  was  induced  to  join  the  King's  standard.  Pat- 
rick Carr,  better  known  as  Paddy  Carr,  was  one  of  the 
fearless  Captains  who  served  under  Colonel  Clarkt?,  of 
Georgia.  He  had  been  an  Indian  trader  on  the  front' ers  of 
that  Province,  and  wa.s,  on  occasion,  quite  as  reckless  and 
brutal  as  the  worst  specimens  among  the  Red  Men  of  the 
forest.  Hunting  for  Beaks  Musgrove,  he  suddenly  darted 
into  Major  Musgrove's,  at  a  moment  when  Beaks  had  come 
in  to  change  his  clothing,  and  get  some  refreshments,  and 
had  leaned  his  sword  against  the  door-post,  while  his  pretty 
sister,  Mary,  was  engaged  in  preparing  him  a  meal.  Can- 
had  dodged  in  so  quietly  and  unexpectedly,  that  Beaks  was 
taken  entirely  by  surprise,  and  without  a  moment's  notice 
to  enable  him  to  attempt  his  escape. 

"Are  30U  Beaks  Musgrove?"  inquired  Carr. 

"  I  am,  sir,"  was  the  frank  and  manly  reply. 

"You  are  the  man,  sir,  I  have  long  been  seeking,"  was 
the  stern  response  of  the  Whig  Captain.. 

Mary  Musgro/e,  seeing  the  drawn  sword  of  her  brother 
in  Carr's  possession,  earnestly  inquired:     "Are  \'ou  Paddy 


arr 


"  I  am,"  he  replied. 

"  I  am  I\Iary  Musgrove,  Mr.  Carr,  and  you  must  not 
kill  my  brother,  "  at  the  same  time  imploringly  throwing 
herself  between  them. 

Carr  was  evidently  touched  by  the  plea  of  artless  beauty, 
and  struck  with  young  Musgrove's  manliness  and  fine  sol- 
dierly appearance,  and  said:  "  Musgrove,  you  look  like  a 
man  who  would  fight." 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


125 


"Yes,"  responded  MusgiX)ve,  "there  are  circumstances 
under  which  I  would  do  my  best." 

"  Had  I  come  upon  you  alone,"  said  Carr,  "in  possess- 
ion of  your  arms,  would  you  have  fought  me?  " 

"Yes — sword  in  hand,"  rejoined  Musgrove. 

Carr  seemed  pleased  with  his  new  acquaintance,  who 
was  now  so  completely  in  his  power,  and  boldly  proposed 
to  him  to  become  a  member  of  his  scout  at  once,  and  swear 
never  again  to  bear  arms  against  the  Americans.  By  this 
time,  Carr's  men,  w^ho  had  been  stationed  in  the  cedar 
grove  some  distance  from  the  house,  came  up,  to  observe 
what  was  transpiring,  and,  if  need  be,  to  render  aid  to  their 
leader. 

Mar}'  Musgrove,  seeing  her  brother  disposed  to  accede 
to  Carr's  proposition,  with  a  view,  probably,  of  saving  his 
life,  still  had  her  fears  awakened  for  his  safety,  and  boldly 
challenged  the  Captain's  motives.  "Captain  Carr,"  she 
asked,  "  I  hope  you  do  not  intend  to  persuade  m}'^  brother 
to  leave  me,  and  then,  when  the  presence  of  his  sister  is  no 
longer  a  restraint,  butcher  him  in  cold  blood — pledge  me, 
sir,  that  such  is  not  \our  purpose." 

"  I  '11  swear  it,"  replied  Carr,  solemnly.  Beaks  Mus- 
grove joined  his  part}',  but  at  heart  he  was  a  Tory  still. 
He,  however,  continued  some  time  with  Carr,  constantly 
gaining  upon  that  bold  leader's  confidence ;  but  there  is  no 
record  or  tradition  tendin^j  to  show  how  long  the  native 
baseness  of  his  heart  permitted  him  to  sustain  his  new  char- 
acter. There  is  no  evidence  that  he  ever  after  be.  e  arms 
against  his  country- — perhaps  he  feared  the  terrible  retribu- 
tion Carr  would  certainly  have  visited  upon  him,  had 
he  falsified  the  solemn  oath  he  had  taken.  About  the  close 
of  the  war,  ho  quit  the  coimtry,  and  never  returned.  He 
left  a  son,  who  became  a  Baptist  preacher,  displaying,  it  is 
said,  much  of  the  eccentricity  and  acuteness  o(  the  cele- 
brated Lorenzo  Dow. 

By  his  second  marriage,  to  a  Miss  Fancher,  Major  Mus- 


ttui 


f   !| 


i% 


i'l     ' 


A 


i 


I        '1 


126 


KIA'G'S  MOUNTAIN 


grove  had  two  dauglitors,  Mar}-  and  Susan,  aged  respect- 
ively sonie  twenty-five  and  twenty-three  jears,  at  the  period 
of  the  war  troubles  of  17S0-81  ;  and  both  were  akin  to  the 
angels  in  their  unwearied  acts  of  mercy  to  the  wounded  and 
the  suflering  in  those  trying  times.  They  were  young 
women  of  marked  attractions,  both  of  mind  and  bod}- ; 
Mary,  cspecialh',  was  a  young  lady  of  rare  beauty  of  per- 
son, possessing  a  bright  intellect,  and  much  energy  of  char- 
acter. She  was  the  renowned  heroine  of  Kennedy's  popu- 
lar stor}-  of  *•  Ilorse-Shoe  Robinson;"  and,  in  all  the  up- 
countr}'  of  South  Carolina,  he  could  not  have  chosen  a  more 
beaudful  character  in  real  life  with  which  to  adorn  the 
charming  pages  of  his  historical  romance.  In  Mary  Mus- 
grove's  case — 

"  Dcmity  unadorned  is  adorned  the  most." 
Both  of  these  noble  sisters  fell  early  viciims  to  the  con- 
simiption — Mary  dying  about  one  year,  and  Susan  about 
two  years,  after  the  war — both  unmarried,  and  both  quietly 
repose  in  the  little  grave-yard  beside  their  revered  parents. 

When  Mary  Musgrove  was  about  passing  away,  she 
selected  her  sister,  and  tl  ree  other  young  ladies  of  the 
neighborhood,  to  be  her  pall-bearers.  Her  body  being  verv 
light,  they  bore  it  to  its  final  resting-place  on  silk  handker- 
chiefs. Just  as  they  were  lowering  the  coflin  into  the  grave, 
u  kind-hearted  lad\'  present,  the  wife  of  a  noted  Tory,  came 
forward  to  render  some  little  assistance,  when  a  member  of 
the  family,  knowing  Mary's  devoted  Whig  principles, 
gently  interposed  and  prevented  it.  Sucli  was  the  tender 
respect  shown  to  the  memory  of  the  worth}'  heroine  of  the 
Enoree.* 

A  remarkable  adventure  of  Samuel  Clowney  will   next 


*  AmonR  Dr.  I.ogan'';  MSS..  is  an  interesting  statement,  to  which  we  are  iiulchtcd  for 
these  particulars,  from  the  late  Captain  P.  Ri.  Waters,  son  of  Margaret  Musgrove,  the 
oldest  daughter,  by  his  last  marriage,  of  Major  Musgrove— a  girl  of  twelve  summers  at  the 
time  of  the  memorable  battle  near  her  father's,  in  17S0.  She  married  I.adon  Waters,  and 
survived  till  1834;  and  by  her  retentive  memory  these  traditions,  and  several  of  those 
rel.ited  in  the  preceding  chapter,  were  preserved. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


127 


demand  our  attention.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
first  settled  on  the  Catawba  river,  in  North  Carolina,  ilnally 
locating  in  South  Carolina.  He  was  a  most  determined 
Whig,  and  had  joined  Colonel  Thomas  at  the  Cedar  Spring, 
earl}' in  July.  Obtaining  with  several  others  a  brief  leave 
of  absence,  to  visit  their  friends,  and  procure  a  change 
of  clothing,  they  set  off  f<ir  the  settlement  on  the  waters 
of  Fa.ir  Forest,  known  as  Ireland  or  the  Irish  Settle- 
ment, on  account  of  the  large  number  of  settlers  from 
the  E'nerald  Isle.  On  their  route,  the  party  left,  with  a 
Mrs.  Foster,  some  garments  to  be  washed,  and  appointed  a 
particular  hour,  and  an  out-of-the-way  place,  where  they 
should  meet  her,  and  get  them,  on  their  return  to  camp. 

In  accordance  with  this  arrangement,  when  the  party 
reached  Kelso's  creek,  about  five  miles  from  Cedar  Spring, 
they  diverged  from  the  road  through  the  woods  to  the  ap- 
poiuied  place,  leaving  Clowney,  and  a  negro  named  Paul, 
to  take  charge  of  their  horses  until  they  should  return  with 
the  washing.  Present]}-  five  Tories,  making  their  way  to  a 
Loyalist  encampment  in  that  quarter,  came  to  the  creek  ; 
when  Clowney,  conceiving  himself  equal  to  the  occasion, 
and  giving  the  negro  subdued  directions  of  the  part  he  was 
to  act,  yelled  out  in  a  commanding  tone:  "Cock  your 
guns,  boys,  and  tire  at  the  word  ; "  and  then  advancing  to 
the  bank  of  the  stream,  as  the  Tories  were  passing  through 
it,  demanded  who  they  were?  Thev  answered  :  "Friends 
to  the  King.''  To  their  utter  astonishment,  not  dreaming 
of  a  Whig  party  in  the  country,  they  were  peremptorily 
ordered  by  Clowney  to  come  upon  the  bank,  lay  down  their 
arms,  and  surrender,  or  "every  b;  gger  of  them  would  be 
instantly  cut  to  pieces.''  Being  somewhat  slow  in  sliowing 
signs  of  yielding,  Clowney  sternly  repeated  his  demand, 
threatening  them,  with  his  well-poised  rifle,  of  the  fatal 
consequences  of  disobedience ;  when  the  terror-stricken 
Tories,  believing  that  a  large  force  was  upon  them,  quietly 
surrendered  without  uttering  a  word. 


i    I 


128 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Paul  took  charije  of  their  guns,  when  Clowney,  giving 
some  directions  to  his  imaginary  soldiers  to  follow  in  the 
rear,  ordered  tlie  prisoners  "right  about  wheel,"  when 
he  marched  them  across  the  creek,  directly  before  him, 
till  he  at  length  reached  the  rest  of  his  party  at  Mrs.  Foster's 
washing  camp.  They  were  then  conducted  to  Colonel 
Thomas'  quarters.  The  prisoners  were  not  a  little  cha- 
grined, when  they  learned  that  their  captors  consisted  of 
only  two  persons — one  of  whom  was  an  unarmed  negro. 
After  arriving  safely  at  Cedar  Spring,  his  Colonel,  when 
told  that  Clowney  and  the  negro  alone  had  captured  the 
whole  party,  seemed  at  first  a  little  incredulous  that  they 
could  accomplish  such  a  feat. 

"Why,  Paddy,"  said  the  Colonel,  "how  did  you  take 
all  these  men?" 

''May  it  plase  yer  honor,"  he  replied,  exultingly,  "by 
me  faith,  I  surrounded  them  I  " 

Clowney  was  a  real  hero.  This  achievement  of  his  at 
Kelso's  creek  is  well  attested  by  man}-  who  knew  him. 
One  of  h's  acquaintances,  in  his  terse  way,  described  him 
as  "  a  little  dry  Irishman  ;  "  and  though  he  belonged  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  like  all  of  his  Celtic  race  of  that  day, 
without  being  intemperate,  he  could  not  refrain  from  getting 
dry  once  in  a  while,  and  dearly  loved  "a  wee  bit  of  the 
crathure"  occasionally.  He  possessed  a  remarkable  talent 
for  sarcasm  and  invective  ;  but  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  most 
kind-hearted,  benevolent  man,  greatly  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  him.  Ilis  brogue  wn'^  quite  rich,  and  this,  combined 
with  a  fund  of  genial  Irisli  wit,  made  him  a  fascinating 
companion.  He  died  September  twenty-seventh,  1824,  in 
his  eighty-second  j-ear.  His  son,  William  K.  Clowney, 
who  was  a  graduate  of  South  Carolina  College,  and  became 
a  prominent  lawA'er,  represented  his  native  district  four 
years  in  Congress.* 


*  MS.  I-ngan  papers;  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  Dr.  Alexander  Q.  nradley,  of 
Alabama,  and  deneral  James  K.  Means,  a  son-in-law  of  Clowney'?,  in  1871;  Howe's  ffis- 
ttiry  0/ Prcshytcriaii  Church  in  South  Carolina,  534-35:  Dr.  Moore's  Life  of  Lacey  32. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


129 


Five  miles  south  of  Unionville,  in  the  present  county  of 
Union,  was  Fair  Forest  Shoal.  There  Colonel  Thomas 
Brandon  resided ;  but  his  military  position  required  his 
presenee  elsewhere  much  of  the  time  during  tlie  active 
period  of  the  Revolution.  His  place,  during  his  absence, 
was  well  t:upplied  by  a  few  resolute  Whigs,  among  whom 
were  old  'Squire  Kennedy,  his  son  William,  Joseph  Hughes, 
William  Sharp,  Thomas  Young,  Joseph  Mcjunkin,  and 
Christopher  Brandon. 

Among  these  brave  and  active  patriots,  William  Ken- 
nedy stood  conspicuous.  He  was  of  French  Huguenot 
descent — the  race  to  which  Marion  belonged.  He  was  tall, 
handsome,  and  athletic.  His  perception  was  quick,  his 
sagacity  equal  to  any  emergency,  and  his  ability  sufficient 
for  a  great  commander.  But  he  persistently  refused  to 
accept  any  office,  choosing  ratlicr  to  serve  as  a  common 
soldier.  He  was  regarded  as  the  best  shot  with  his  rifle  of 
anv  person  in  all  that  region.  Whether  on  foot  or  horse- 
back, at  half-speed  or  a  stand-still,  he  was  never  known  to 
miss  his  aim.  His  rifle  had  a  peculiar  crack  when  fired, 
which  his  acquaintances  could  recognize ;  and  when  its 
well-known  report  was  heard,  it  was  a  common  remark — 
'*  t/icrc  /.s"  a  not  her  Tory  less.''' 

Although  he  held  no  commission,  yet  the  men  of  the 
neigliborhood  acknowledged  him  as  their  leader  when  dan- 
ger was  nigh,  and  their  feet  were  ever  in  the  stirrup  at  his 
bidding.  His  efforts  were  often  called  into  requisition  by 
the  plundering  excursions  of  the  Tories  sent  out  under  the 
auspices  of  Ferguson,  Dunlap,  and  their  subordinate  ofll 
cers.  He  and  his  comrades  often  saved  their  settlement  from 
being  over-run  by  these  scouting  parties.  The  crack  of 
Kennedy's  rifle  was  sure  to  be  heard  whenever  a  Tory  was 
found  ;  and  it  was  the  well-known  signal  for  his  friends  to 
hasten  to  his  assistance.  He  seemed  almost  to  "snuff  the 
battle  from  afar;"  and  the  flush  of  determination  would  suf- 
fuse his  manlv  countenance  whenever  he  had  reason  to 
b<'lieve  the  enemy  were  near. 

9 


is 


m    ■    :'=! 


I 


i!i 


ir  .,*■.-« 


130 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN. 


4i 


On  one  occasion,  a  British  and  Tory  scouting  party 
penetrated  the  settlement,  and  began  their  custoniar}'  work 
of  phindering  the  women  and  children  ot"  every  thing  they 
possessed,  whether  to  eat  or  to  wear.  One  of  Kennedy's 
runners  went  to  the  hiding-place  of  Christopher  I^randon 
and  two  companions — for  they  were,  in  the  language  of  the 
times,  out-lyers,  and  could  not  with  safety  stay  at  home  for 
fear  of  being  massacred  by  the  Tories — and  notified  them 
of  an  enterprise  on  foot.  They  mounted  their  horses,  and 
hastened  at  half-speed  to  the  place  of  rendezvous.  Pursu- 
ing an  unfrequented  cow-path  through  a  dense  forest,  they 
stopped  a  moment  at  a  small  branch  crossing  their  trail,  to 
permit  their  jaded  horses  to  quench  their  thirst,  and  then 
renew  their  journey.  The  crack  of  a  rifle  scattered  the 
brains  of  one  of  Brandon's  companions  on  his  clothes  and 
in  his  face,  the  same  ball  grazing  his  cheek,  the  dead  body 
of  the  victim  tumbling  into  the  brook  beneath.  The  two 
survivors  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  when  more  than  a  dozen 
rifles  were  fired  at  them  from  an  unseen  enemy  behind  the 
trees  ;  but  they  fortunately  escaped  uninjiu'ed.  The  Tory 
party  had  heard  the  galloping  of  the  horses  of  Brandon  and 
his  friends,  and  laid  in  wait  for  them. 

Reaching  the  place  of  meeting,  some  fifteen  or  twenty- 
had  assembled  under  their  bold  leader,  Kennedy,  and  were 
ready  for  a  hot  pursuit.  They  overtook  the  Tory  band  a 
few  minutes  before  sunset.  They  were  plundering  a  house 
in  a  field  a  few  rods  from  the  public  road  ;  and  the  Whig 
pursuers  had  their  attention  first  attracted  by  the  cries  of  the 
woman  and  her  children.  The  Tories  had  a  sentinel  out- 
side, who  fired  as  the  Whigs  came  near ;  and,  on  the  alarm, 
those  within  instantly  dashed  out,  mounted  their  horses,  and 
fled.  The  Whigs  divided,  each  pursuing  his  man  at  full 
speed.  Kenned}'  directed  3'oung  Brandon,  who  was  inex- 
perienced, to  keep  near  him,  and  only  fire  when  told  to  do 
so.  The  leader  of  the  Tory  party,  w  hose  name  was  Neal, 
was  the  one  singled  out  and  pursued  by  Kennedy.    lie  fled 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


131 


through  an  open  field,  towards  the  woods,  at  some  distance 
awa}' ;  but  Kenned}'  kept  the  road,  running  nearly  parallel 
with  the  fugitive,  till  he  reached  an  open  space  in  the  hedge- 
row of  bushes  that  had  partially  obstructed  the  view,  when 
he  suddenly  called  out  whoa!  to  his  horse,  who  had  been 
trained  instanth'  to  obe}' ;  and,  as  quick  as  thought,  the 
crack  of  Kennedy's  rifle  brouglit  Neal  tumbling  to  the 
groimd.  He  was  stone-dead  when  Kennedy  and  Brandon 
came  up,  having  been  shot  through  the  body  in  a  vital  part. 
The  distance  of  Kennedy's  fire  was  one  hundred  and  forty 
yards.  More  than  half  of  the  Tory  party  was  killed. 
"Not  one  was  taken  prisoner,"  as  Brandon  related  the 
adventure  in  his  old  age,  "  for  it  occurred  but  seldom — our 
rifles  usuallv  saved  us  that  trouble."  Re-takin<jf  the  Tory 
booty,  it  was  all  faithfully  restored  to  the  distressed  woman 
and  children.* 

On  the  heights  at  Fair  Forest  Shoal  was  an  old  stockatle 
fort  or  block-house.  Many  tragic  incidents  occurred  there, 
and  in  its  nei<diborhood.  A  Tory,  whose  name  has  been 
forgotten,  had,  with  his  band,  done  much  mischief  in  that 
region ;  and,  among  other  unpardonable  sins,  had  killed 
one  of  William  Kennedy's  dearest  friends.  The  latter 
learned  that  the  culprit  was  within  striking  distance,  and 
called  his  friends  together,  who  went  in  search  of  him. 
The  two  parties  met  some  two  or  three  miles  from  the 
block-house,  when  a  severe  contest  ensued.  The  Tories 
were  routed ;  and  the  leader,  wlio  was  the  prize  Kenned}' 
sought,  fled.  Kennedy,  Hughes,  Sharp,  Mcjunkin  and 
others  pursued.  The  chase  was  one  of  life  or  death.  The 
Tory  approached  the  bank  of  Fair  Forest  at  a  point,  on  a 
high  bluff,  where  the  stream  at  low  water  was  perhaps 
twenty  or  thirty  yards  over,  and  quite  deep.     The  fleeing 


*MS,  notes  of  Hon.  Daniel  Wallace,  communicated  to  William  Gilmore  Simms,  the 
distinguished  novelist  and  historian  of  South  Carolina,  and  kindly  furnished  the  writer  by 
Mr.  Simms'  daughter,  Mrs.  Edward  Roach,  of  Charleston.  Mr.  Wallace  was  a  native  of 
the  up-country  of  South  Carolina,  and  represented  his  district  in  Congress  from  1S47  to 
1853.     He  died  a  few  years  since. 


182 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Lo^^alist,  hemmed  around  by  his  pursuers  on  t'^e  bhifT,  just 
where  they  aimed  to  drive  him,  hesitated  not  a  moment, 
but  spurred  his  horse,  and  phm<fed  over  the  bank,  and  into 
the  stream  below — a  Tearful  leap.  I  lis  pursuers  followed, 
and  at  the  opposite  bank  they  made  him  their  prisoner. 

Their  powder  being  wet  by  its  contact  with  the  water, 
the}'^  resolved  to  take  their  captive  below  to  the  block-house 
and  hang  him.  When  they  arrived  there,  the  officer  in 
command  w^ould  not  permit  him  to  be  disposed  of  in  that 
summary  manner,  but  ordered  him  to  be  taken  to  Colonel 
Brandon's  camp,  a  considerable  distance  away,  to  be  tried 
by  a  court  martial.  Kennedy  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
guard,  but  the  Tory  begged  that  Kennedy  might  not  be 
permitted  to  go,  as  he  apprehended  he  w^ould  take  occasion 
to  kill  him  on  the  way.  Evidently  intending  to  make  an 
etlbrt  to  escape,  he  did  not  wish  the  presence  of  so  skillful 
a  shot  as  Kennedy.  Ilis  request,  however,  was  not  heeded. 
He  took  an  ear^/  occasion  to  dash  oft'  at  full  speed;  but 
Kennedy's  unerring  rifle  soon  stopped  his  flight,  and  his 
remains  were  brought  back  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  near  the 
block-house,  and  there  buried.  The  Tory's  jjrave  was 
still  pointed  out  within  a  few  years  past.* 

The  name  of  Joseph  Hughes  has  been  mentioned  as  one 
of  the  faithful  followers  of  William  Kennedy.  Both  were 
proverbially  brave — Hughes  was  probably'  the  more  reckless 
of  the  two — possessed  more  of  a  dare-devil  character. 
Early  one  morning,  he  left  his  hiding-place,  as  one  of  the 
honored  band  of  out-lycrs,  who  preferred  freedom  at  \\\\y 
sacrifice  rather  than  tamel}'  yield  to  the  oppression  around 
them,  and  visited  his  humble  domicile,  to  see  his  little  family, 
residing  on  the  west  side  of  Broad  river,  near  the  locality 
of  the  present  village  of  Pinckneyville.  He  approached  his 
house  cautiously  on  horse-back,  and  when  within  a  rod, 
three  Tories  suddenly  sprang  out  of  the  door,  and  present- 
ing their  guns,  said  exultingly  : — 

*  Wallace  Manuscript. 


l\ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


133 


•'You  d — (I  Rebel,  you  are  our  prisoner!  " 

"  You  are  d — d  liars  I  "  defiandy  yelled  Hughes,  as  he 
instandy  spurred  his  horse  to  his  full  speed.  As  he  cleared 
the  gate  at  a  single  leap,  all  three  fired,  but  missed  their 
mark,  and  he  escaped  without  a  scratch.  Those  Tories  had 
watched  for  him  all  night,  and  had  just  entered  the  house  to 
get  their  breakfast  as  he  rode  up.  They  were  naturally 
quite  chop-fallen,  when,  having  taken  so  much  pains  to 
secure  so  plucky  an  enemy  of  the  King,  they  found  them- 
selves, in  the  end,  so  completel}-  foiled  in  their  purpose.* 

On  another  occasion,  when  a  scouting  party  of  British 
and  Tories  was  passing  through  what  is  now  Union  County, 
committing  robberies,  as  was  their  wont,  when  they  little 
suspected  it,  their  footsteps  were  dogged  by  William  Sharp, 
one  of  Kennedy's  fearless  heroes,  with  two  associates.  At 
Grindal  Shoals,  a  notable  ford  of  Pacolet,  they  came  upon 
the  enemy.  It  was  in  the  night,  and  \ery  dark,  which  con- 
cealed their  numbers,  and  favored  their  daring  enterprise. 
The  first  intimation  the  British  and  Tories  had  of  danger, 
was  a  bold  demand  on  the  part  of  Sharp  and  his  associates 
for  them  to  siu'render  instantly,  or  the}'  would  be  blown  into 
a  region  reputed  prett}'  hot.  In  the  surprise  of  the  moment, 
they  begged  for  quarter,  and  laid  down  their  arms,  to  the 
number  of  twenty.  The  victors  threw  their  guns  into  the 
river,  before  their  prisoners  discovered  their  mistake,  and 
drove  the  captives  to  the  nearest  Whig  encampment  in  that 
region,  f 

In  a  quiet  nook  in  Spartanburg  lived  a  man  named 
Woods — on  one  of  the  Forks  of  Tyger,  we  believe.  He 
was  not  known  as  particularly  demonstrative  or  combative 
among  his  neighbors,  but  was  a  true  patriot,  and  unflinch- 
ing in  times  of  danger.  One  day,  when  at  home  with  his 
wife,  he  found  his  house  surrounded  In'  a  party  of  deter- 
mined Tories.     Seeing  so  overwhelming  a  superiority  of 

*  Wallace  Manuscript, 
t  Wallace  Manuscript. 


» ;i^ 


-ill 


;('    i 


ti  i 


i 


r 


134 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


m 


m\ 


numbers  against  him,  Woods,  who  had  closed  his  house 
against  them,  proposed  if  tliey  would,  in  good  faith,  agree 
to  spare  his  own  and  wife's  lives,  they  might  come  in  un- 
opposed, and  take  whatever  they  wanted,  otherwise,  as  he 
had  two  guns,  he  would  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possible. 
They  would  make  no  promises,  but  demanded  an  uncon- 
ditional surrender.  Woods  commenced  the  unequal  battle, 
availing  himself  of  a  crack  between  his  house-logs,  which 
served  him  as  a  port-hole,  and  kept  up  a  brisk  liring,  his 
heroic  wife  loading  his  guns  for  him  as  fast  as  either  was 
empty,  till  he  had  killed  three  of  his  assailants.  They  now 
becanie  more  desperate  than  ever,  and,  through  the  same 
crack,  managed  to  send  a  ball  which  broke  Mrs.  Woods' 
arm.  In  the  confusion  of  the  moment,  while  Woods  was 
assisting  his  wife,  the  Tories  seeing  his  fire  had  slackened, 
rushed  up  to  the  door  which  they  battered  down,  and  cap- 
tured the  intrepid  defender.  They  took  him  a  lew  rods 
away,  into  a  copse  of  wood,  where  they  soon  beat  him  to 
death  with  clubs.  Mrs.  Woods  was  spared,  and  recovered.* 
In  what  was  originally'  a  part  of  Tryon,  now  Lincoln 
County,  North  Carolina,  were  many  Loyalists.  Among 
them  was  Samuel  Brown,  who  had  been  reared  there,  and 
proved  himself  not  only  an  inveterate  Tory,  but  a  bold  and 
unscrupulous  plunderer.  lie  had  a  sister,  Charit\-  Brown, 
who  must  have  been  a  rough,  reckless,  bad  woman.  For 
quite  a  period,  the  two  carried  on  very  successful  plunder- 
ing operations — including  horses,  bed-clotbes,  wearing  ap- 
parel, pewter-ware,  mone}^  and  other  valuable  articles. 
Sometimes  they  had  confederates,  but  oftener  they  went 
forth  alone  on  their  pillaging  forays.  About  fifteen  miles 
west  of  Statesville,  North  Carolina,  three  miles  above  the 
Island  Ford,  there  is  a  high  bluff'  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Catawba  river,  risin?^  three  hundred  feet  high,  at  a  place 
known  as  the  Look-Out  Shoals.     About  sixty  feet  from  the 

*MS.  notes  of  conversations,  in  1871.  with  Major  A.  J.  Wells,  of  Montcvallo,  Alabama, 
a  native  of  Spartanburg  County.  South  Carolina. 


AND  ITS  HEROES, 


1:5.5 


base  of  this  blufT,  under  an  over-hani^infr  clitr,  was  a  cave 
of  considerable  dimensions,  sutTicienl  to  accommodate  sev- 
eral persons,  but  the  opening  to  which  is  now  partially 
closed  by  a  mass  of  rock  sliding  down  from  above.  This 
cave  was  the  depository  for  the  plunder  taken  by  stealti^  or 
violence  from  the  poverty-stricken  j^eople  in  the  country  for 
manv  miles  around  ;  for  Uieir  depredations  extended  from 
the  Shallow  Ford  of  Yadkin  to  the  region  embracing  the 
several  counties  of  the  north-western  portion  of  South  Caro- 
lina. 

Sam  Brown  was  once  married  to  the  daugbtev  of  a  man 
residing  near  the  Island  Ford,  but  his  wife,  disliking  the  man, 
or  his  treatment  of  her.  left  him  and  returned  to  her  father; 
and  in  revenge  for  harboring  and  protecting  her.  Brown 
went  one  night  and  killed  all  his  father-in-law's  stock.  A 
poor  old  blind  man,  named  David  Beard,  living  on  Fourth 
creek,  near  wbat  is  now  called  Beard's  bridge,  about  seven 
miles  east  of  Statesville,  had  a  few  dollars  in  silver  laid  up, 
which  Brown  unfeelingly  filched  from  him.  Beard  re- 
proached him  for  his  wrongs  and  cruelties,  and  reminded 
him  that  he  woidd  have  a  hard  account  to  render  at  the  day 
of  judgment  for  robbing  a  person  in  his  poor  and  helpless 
condition, 

"It's  a  long  trust,"  retorted  Brown;  "but  sure  pay," 
promptly  rejoined  Beard. 

So  notorious  had  become  the  robber's  achievements, 
that  he  was  known  in  all  that  region  as  Pliindcn'n^-  Sam 
Droivn.  Among  the  Tories,  he  was  designated  as  Captain 
Sam  Brown.  As  early  as  the  Spring  of  1778,  he  was 
associated  with  the  Tory  leader,  David  Fanning  ;  and  they 
were  hiding  in  the  woods  together  on  Reaburn's  creek,  in 
now  Laurens  County,  South  Carolina,  for  the  space  of  six 
weeks,  living  entirely  upon  what  they  killed  in  the  wilder- 
ness, without  bread  or  salt.  There  were  too  many  watchful 
Whigs  in  this  region  to  suit  Brown's  notions,  so  he  wended 
his  way  to  Green  river,  in  what  is  now  Polk  County,  in  the 
south-western  part  of  North  Carolina. 


136 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


The  advent  of  Colonel  Ferjfuson  to  the  up-cfintry  of 
South  Carolina  proved  a  perfect  God-send  to  siiel  .lened 

wretches  as  Brown.  They  could  now  di^Miify  thei.  plunder- 
ing with  the  sanction  of  his  iMajesty's  faithful  servant;-, 
Colonel  Ferguson,  Colonel  Iinies,  and  Major  Dunlap.  To 
such  an  extent  had  the  people  of  the  Spartanburg  region 
been  raided  and  over-run,  during  the  summer  of  1780,  by 
these  persistent  pillagers,  that  the  men  had  been  conijH'lled 
to  fly  to  the  distant  bodies  of  Whigs  under  McDowell  or 
Sumter,  or  become  out-lyers  in  the  wilderni'ss.  This  left 
a  comparatively  open  field  for  the  nuu'auders,  and  they 
were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  Captain  Brown 
and  his  followers  made  frequent  incursions  in  that  quarter. 
He  ventured,  on  one  otjcasion,  to  the  house  of  Jot'  di  Cul- 
bertson,  on  Fair  Forest,  acciMup-uiied  by  a  singU  ')ciate 
named  Butler,  and  inquired  of  Mrs.  Culbertson  f  hus- 

band. But  this  young  woman,  the  daughter  of  the  heroic 
Mrs.  Colonel  Thomas,  gave  him  some  pretty  curt  and  un- 
satisfactcjry  answers.  Brown  became  very  much  provoked 
by  this  spirited  woma.),  and  retorted  '"n  much  abusive  and 
indecent  language ;  assuring  her,  furthermore,  that  he 
would,  in  a  few  days,  return  with  his  company,  lay  her 
house  in  ashes,  kill  her  husband,  and  plunder  and  murder 
the  principal  Whigs  of  the  neighborhood.  After  a  good 
deal  of  longuc  lashings  and  bravado  of  this  character, 
Brown  and  Butler  rode  off,  leaving  Mrs.  Culbertson  to 
brood  over  her  painful  apprehensions. 

Brown's  cup  of  iniquity  was  running  over,  and  the  day 
of  retribution  was  at  hand.  Fortunately^  Culbertson  re- 
turned home  that  night,  accompanied  by  a  friend,  Charles 
Ilolloway,  who  was  as  brave  and  fearless  as  himself.  The 
story  of  Brown's  visit,  his  threats  and  insolence,  very 
naturally  roused  Culbertson's  feelings — indignation  and  re- 
sentment pervaded  his  whole  nature.  Beside  this  disgrace- 
ful treatment  of  his  wife.  Brown  had  apprehended  the  elder 
Colonel  Thomas,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Culbertson,  soon  after 


ir  1 
I '  .1 


AND  IIS  HEROES. 


187 


the  fall  of  Charleston,  am!  carried  him,  two  of  his  sons, 
and  his  ncffroes  and  horsos,  to  the  liritish,  at  Ninety  Six. 
Culhertson  deti'rmined  to  capturi'  the  redoubtahli'  plun- 
derer, or  rid  the  coinitry  of  so  gn-at  a  scourge.  Ilolloway 
was  equ.'dly  ready  for  tiie  enterprise. 

Early  the  next  morning,  reinforced  by  William  Neel, 
William  Mcllhaney,  and  one  Steedman,*  they  followed  the 
tracks  of  the  two  marauders  some  ten  or  twelve  miles,  when 
they  discovered  Brown's  and  Hutler's  horses  in  a  stable  on 
the  road-side,  belonging  to  Dr.  Andrew  Tliompson,  in  the 
region  of  Tvger  river,  when-  they  had  stopped  for  rest  and 
refreshment.  Culbertson's  party  now  retraced  their  steps 
some  distance,  hitched  their  horses  out  of  sight,  and  crept 
up  within  shot  of  Thompson's,  posting  themselves  behind 
the  stable,  and  eagerly  watched  the  appearance  of  the  Tory 
free-booters.  At  length  Brown  stepped  out  of  the  house 
into  the  yard,  followed  b}-  Butler;  and  as  the  Tory  Captain 
was  enjoying  lazily  a  rustic  yawn,  with  his  hands  locked 
over  his  head,  he  received  a  shot  from  Culbertson's  deadly 
rifle,  at  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  yards.  The  ball 
passed  directly  through  his  body,  just  below  his  shoulders, 
and  making  a  desperate  bound,  he  fell  dead  against  the  door- 
yard  fence.  Ilolloway ''s  fire  missed  Butler,  the  ball  lodging 
in  the  door-jamb,  just  behind  him  ;  but  without  waiting  to 
learn  the  fate  of  his  leader,  or  to  secure  his  horse,  he  fled 
to  the  woods  and  escaped.  Brown  was  an  active,  shrewd, 
heartless  man — the  terror  of  women  and  children  wherever 
his  name  was  known.  Butler,  it  is  believed,  took  the  hint, 
and  never  re-appeared  in  Spartanburg. 

One  tradition  has  it,  that  Brown's  life  of  robbery  and 
out-la  wry  commenced  even  before  the  Revolution,  which 
may  very  well  have  been  so.  The  amount  of  money  cou- 
sin a  MS.  letter  of  Colonel  Elijah  Clarke  to  General  Sumter,  October  29th,  1780.  occurs 
this  statement :  "  I  am  to  inform  you,  that  the  'l'orii:s  killcil  Captains  Hampton  and  Stid- 
man,  at  or  near  Fair  Forest  " —the  latter,  perhaps,  the  associate  of  Culhertson,  in  his  suc- 
cessful foray  against  Hrown,  and  for  that  very  reason  he  probably  lost  bis  life,  in  retaliation, 
on  the  part  of  Brown's  friends. 


:!!, 


11 


13S 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


cealed  by  him  was  supposed  to  be  large — the  fruits  of  his 
predator}^  life  ;  anil  frequent  searches  have  been  made  to 
find  the  hidden  treasure.  In  his  secluded  cave,  he  kept  a 
mistress,  but  she  professed  ignorance  of  his  localities  of  de- 
posit. A  small  sum  only  has  been  discovered  by  accident. 
The  probabilities  are,  he  never  accumulated  much  money, 
as  the  frontier  people  whom  he  plundered  were  poor,  and 
but  little  specie  was  in  circulation  beyond  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  the  British  troops. 

After  the  de.'ith  of  her  despicable  brother,  poor  Charity 
Brown  fled  westward  to  the  mountain  region  of  what  is  now 
Buncombe  and  Haywood,  and  before  her  death,  it  is  related, 
she  made  some  revelations  wdiere  to  find  valuables  buried  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  cave  at  the  Look-Out  Shoals  ;  rnd  among 
articles  subsequently  discovered,  were  twelve  sets  of  pewter- 
ware,  which  had  been  concealed  in  a  large  hollow  tree. 
This,  in  the  course  of*  time,  had  been  blown  down  by  the 
wind,  and  thus  revealed  this  long  hidden  booty  of  the  rob- 
bers of  the  Catawba.  It  is  currently  stated  by  the  super- 
stitious of  that  region,  that  when  one  comes  near  the  cave, 
and  tries  to  bring  his  balteau  to  land  at  the  base  of  the  clitf, 
he  hears  a  fearful  noise — not  proceeding  from  the  cave,  so 
far  above  the  water,  but  from  the  rock  at  the  bottom. 

However  this  mav  be,  Culbertson  and  Mollowav.  after 
their  successful  work  at  Thompson's,  deliberately  wiped 
their  guns,  reloaded  them,  and  were  again  prepared  for  any 
piirilous  adventiu'e.  Not  very  long  after  Brown's  death, 
which  was  a  r.ource  of  rejoicing  among  the  Whigs  in  all 
that  region,  Culbertson  received  word,  that  a  noted  Tory, 
whom  he  knew,  then  in  North  Carolina,  threatened  to  kill 
him,  in  retaliation  for  Brown's  death.  They  met  one  dajj^ 
unexpectedly,  and  instanUy  recognized  each  other,  when 
both  fired  their  rifles  almost  simidtaneouslv  ;  Culbertson's 
cracked  a  moment  first — the  Tory  fell  dead,  while  the  Whig 
rifleman  escaped  unhurt. 

Such  sanguinary  relations  of  civil  warfare  make  one's 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


139 


blood  almost  curdle  in  the  veins.  The  unmerciful  conduct 
ol'Tarleton  at  Buford's  defeat,  had  engendered  a  feeling  of 
savage  furv  on  the  part  of  the  Whigs,  and  as  bitterly  recipro- 
cated on  the  part  of  the  Tories,  whicli,  in  time,  amounted 
to  the  almost  utter  refusal  of  all  quarter.  So  that  in  the 
CaroHnas  and  Georgia,  the  contest  became,  to  a  fearful 
extent,  a  war  of  ruthless  bloodshed  and  extermination.* 
General  Greene,  a  few  months  later,  wrote  thus  freely  of 
these  hand-to-hand  strifes:  "The  animosit}-,''  he  said, 
"between  tlie  Whigs  and  Tories,  rendered  their  situation 
truly  deplorable.  Tliere  is  not  a  day  passes  but  there  are 
more  or  less  who  fall  a  sacritice  to  this  savage  disposition. 
The  Whigs  seem  determined  to  extirpate  the  Tories,  and 
Uie  Tories  the  Whigs.  Some  thousands  have  fallen  in  this 
vay  in  this  quarter,  and  the  evil  rages  with  more  A'iolence 
than  ever.  If  a  stop  can  not  be  put  to  these  massacres,  the 
country  will  be  depopulated  in  a  few  months  more,  as 
neither  Whig  nor  Tory  can  live."f 

*The  authorities  for  the  story  of  Plundering  Sam  lirown  are  :  Fanning's  Narrative; 
obituary  notice  of  Josiah  Culburtson.  in  the  Wasliingtoii.  Indiana.  Weekly  Register,  Octo- 
ber 17th,  1839,  with  comments  thereon,  ^y  Major  Mcjunkin,  preserved  among  the  Saye 
MSS.;  Ex-Governor  H.  F.  Perry's  sketch  of  Culbertsun.  in  the  Orion  Magazine,  June. 
1S44;  Johnson's  TraJifioiis,  423;  and  sketch  of  Sam  lirown.  by  Kev.  E.  R.  Rockwell,  of 
North  Carohna,  in  the  Historical  Magazine,  October,  1873. 

t  Greene';  ti/a  0/  Greene,  iii,  227. 


'Hil 


f'tl 


140 


KING'S  MOUMTAJN 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


August,  1780— March,  1781. 


Cormvallis  Han^iug  Propcnsil/rs. — Sumter  a  thorn  in  his  Lordship's 
side. — Dispersion  of  Whig  Bands. — Ferguson  s  Success  in  Training 
the  Loyal  Militia. — Action  of  the  Alarmed  Tory  Ij;adcrs. — In-rguson 
Moves  into  Tryon  County. —  Colonel  Graham  Repels  a  Party  of  Plun- 
derers.— Ruse  for  Saving  Whig  Stock. — Mrs.  Lytic  and  her  Beaver 
Hat. — Engagement  on  Cane  Creek,  and  Major  Dunlap  ivounded. — 
Apprehension  of  Jonathan  Hampton. — Dunlap' s  Insolence. — Sketch 
of  Dunlap' s  Career  and  Death. 

Lord  Cornvvallis'  success  at  Camden  had,  like  the 
mastilT  fed  on  meat  and  blood,  made  him  all  the  more 
fierce  for  further  strife  and  carnafje.  Two  days  after 
Gates'  defeat,  his  Lordship  wrote  to  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Cruger,  at  Ninet}'  Six  :  "I  Lave  given  orders  that  all  the 
inhabitants  of  this  Province,  who  had  submitted,  and  who 
have  taken  part  in  this  revolt,  should  be  punished  with  the 
greatest  rigor ;  that  they  should  be  imprisoned,  and  their 
whole  property  taken  from  them  or  destroyed  ;  I  have  like- 
wise directed  that  compensation  should  be  made  out  of 
their  effects  to  the  persons  who  have  been  plundered  and 
oppressed  b}'  them.  I  have  ordered,  in  the  most  positive 
manner,  that  every  militia  man  who  had  borne  arms  with 
us,  and  had  afterwards  joined  the  enemy,  shotihl  be  iniiiic- 
dialcly  hono-ed.  I  have  now,  sir,  only  to  desire  that  you 
will  take  the  most  vigorous  measures  to  extinguish  the 
rebellion,  in  the  district  in  which  you  command,  and  that 
you  will  obe}',  in  the  strictest  manner,  the  directions  I  have 
given  in  this  letter,  relative  to  the  treatment  of  the  country."* 


*This  is  the  l.inguagc  of  his  Lordship's  letter  to  LiciiteiiantColonel  Cnigcr,  as  Rivtii  in 
the  Cornwallis'  Corresfomience,  i,  56-57.     His  Lordship  scciris  to  have  eiiiiivocatcd  about 


A.VD  ITS  HEROES. 


141 


These  sanguinary  orders  were,  in  man}-  cases,  most  faith- 
fully obeyed — Tarleton,  Rawdon,  Balfour  and  Browne,  par- 
ticularly demonstrating  their  fitness  for  carrNing  into  eftect 
these  tyrannical  measures. 

Sumter,  by  his  pluck}-  and  frequent  attacks  on  several 
British  detachments,  had  proved  himself  a  thorn  in  his 
Lordship's  side.  He  had  made  a  bold  push  against  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Turnbull  at  Rocky  Mount ;  then  practically 
defeated  Major  Garden  and  the  Tor}^  Colonel  Bryan,  at 
Hanging  Rock  ;  and  fmally  captured  Fort  Carey,  and  a 
large  convoy,  below  Camden.  These  were  audacious 
things  to  do,  evincing  great  contempt  of  his  Majesty's 
Government,  and  of  his  Lordship's  power  and  consideration 
in  the  Province.  1  urnbull,  after  Sumter's  attack,  had  re- 
tired to  Ferguson's  quarters,  on  Little  river  ;  and  Ferguson 
meanwhile,  had  pushed  further  north  to  the  Fair  Forest 
region.  On  his  great  victory  over  Gates,  Cornwallis  direc- 
ted Turnbull  and  Ferguson  to  immediately  put  their  corps 
in  motion,  and  push  on,  if  possible,  to  intercept  Sumter's 
retreat  towards  No'  th  Carolina  with  his  prisoners  and  spoils 
of  victory.  Tarleton  was  also  sent  in  his  pursuit,  overtak- 
ing and  surprising  him  at  the  mouth  of  Fishing  creek,  onlv 
two  da3s  after  Gates'  melancholy  disaster  near  Camden. 

As  we  hear  nothing  more  of  Turnbull  in  the  Ninety  Six 
region,  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  he  was,  not  long  afte/, 
recalled  to  the  eastern  part  of  South  Carolina.  The  orders 
of  Lord  Cornwallis,  which  must  have  reached  Colonel  Fer- 
guson shortly  after  die  affair  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  seem  to 
have  set  that  officer's  forces  in  motion.  After  driving 
Clarke,  Shelby,  and  Williams  out  of  the  Province,  it  only 
remained  to  pay  his  attention  to  McDowell's  party,  at 
Smith's  Ford,  on  Broad  river.  On  receipt  of  General  Cas- 
well's letter,  announcing  the  disaster  of  Gates,  and  advising 


3    '-hV 


the  subject-matter  of  this  letter;  Init  lie  wrote  a  similar  one,  the  same  mouth,  fully  as 
hlooil  thirsty  in  its  tone,  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Balfour,  which  is  given  in  Sparks'  If^ash- 
ington,  vii,  555-6. 


'IS"-' 


ill 


142 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


the  iiulependGnt  detiiclinicnts  to  retire  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  victorious  l>ritish,  IvIcDoweirs  force  mosll}-  disbanded 
and  scattered — some  of  them,  perhaps,  hke  Shelby's  men, 
because  their  term  of  service  had  expired  ;  while  others,  it 
may  be,  like  Clarke's  Georgians,  because  they  were  volun- 
teers at  pleasure.  What  was  left  of  McDowell's  command 
— less  than  two  hundred,  apparently  —retired  to  their  own 
mountain  region  of  North  Carolina,  in  the  counties  of 
Rutherford  and  Burke. 

That  Ferguson,  during  the  period  he  held  command  in 
the  up-country,  had  been  both  imliring  and  successful,  is 
well  attested  by  a  report  of  Lord  Cornwallis  to  the  1  lome 
Government,  August  twentieth,  1780:  "In  the  district  of 
Ninety  Six,"  says  his  Lordship,  "by  far  the  most  populous 
and  powerful  of  the  Province,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Balfour, 
by  his  great  attention  and  diligence,  and  b}-  the  active 
assistance  of  Major  Ferguson,  who  was  appointed  Inspector- 
General  of  the  militia  of  this  Province  by  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton, had  formed  seven  battalions  of  militia,  consisting  of 
abo\e  four  thousand  men,  and  entirely  composed  of  persons 
well-affected  to  the  British  Government,  which  were  so 
regulated,  that  they  could,  with  ease,  furnish  fifteen  hundred 
men,  at  a  short  notice,  for  the  defense  of  the  frontier,  or 
any  other  home  service.  But  I  must  take  this  opportunity 
of  observing,  that  this  militia  can  be  of  little  use  for  distant 
military  operations,  as  they  will  not  stir  without  a  horse  ;  and, 
on  that  account,  your  Lordship  will  see  the  impossibility  of 
keeping  a  number  of  them  together  without  destroying  the 
coimtry."  Turning  their  horses  into  ili>kls  of  grain,  and  eat- 
ing out  one  settlement,  they  w'ould  soon  necessarily  have 
to  remove  to  another. 

Only  five  days  before  the  action  at  Musgrove's,  while 
Ferguson  and  his  troops  were  encamped  at  Fair  Forest 
Shoal,  in  Brandon's  Settlement,  an  important  meeting 
was  held  there  by  the  Loyalist  ofllcers  and  their  men. 
The  North  Carolina  battalion  under  Colonel  Ambrose  Mills, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


143 


and  the  six  South  Carolina  battalions — Cunningham's, Kirk- 
land's,  Clary's,  King's,  Gibbs'  and  Plumnicr's  were  there  in 
camp,  while  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  Philips, battalion,  and 
another,  were  stationed  at  Edward  Mobley  s  settlement,  in 
the  adjoining  county  of  Fairiield,  some  twenty-tive  miles 
distant.  All  the  Colonels  seem  to  have  been  absent — Clary 
at  Musgrove's  ;  but  all  the  battalions  were  represented  at 
the  meeting.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Philips,  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel W.  T.  Turner,  Majors  Daniel  Plummer,  Zachariah 
Gibbs.  and  John  Hamilton,  and  x\djutant  Thomas  D.  Hill, 
Jr.,  being  present. 

These  Loyalist  chiefs,  who  had  flattered  themselves  that 
the  Rebellion  was,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  quelleil,  and 
that  the}-  would  soon  be  made  lords  and  masters  over  the  con- 
quered communities,  now  began  to  realize  that  the  Whigs  of 
the  country  would  not  "down"  at  their  bidding — that  Sum- 
ter, Marion.  McDowell,  WMliams,  Shelby,  Clarke,  Thomas, 
lirandon,  Mcjunkin,  and  other  leaders,  were  in  arms,  boldly 
attacking  Tory  parties  whenever  they  could  meet  them  on 
an3-thing  like  an  equal  footing.  The  Loyal  militia,  when 
danger  began  to  stare  them  in  the  face,  showed  signs  of 
weakening  and  lagging.  It  was,  therefore,  hnportant,  as 
"the  Rebels  were  again  in  the  field."  as  they  expressed  it, 
that  they  should  provide  severe  punishments  for  all  of  their 
Loyalist  delinquents;  that  their  horses,  cattle,  grain,  aaid 
arms  should  be  forfeited,  and  they  should  bo  brought  to 
trial,  and  punished  in  person  as  they  deserved.  They 
furthermore  gave  it  as  their  imanimous  expression,  that 
whoever  should  act  a  treacherous  part  bv  abandoning  the 
Royal  cause,  desertmg  his  battali<jn,  or  disobeying  the 
orders  of  his  comnuuuling  ollicers,  is  a  worse  enemy  to  the 
King  and  country  than  even  the  Rebels  themselves,  and 
that  all  good  Loyalists  should  assist  in  the  defense  of  the 
country,   and  that  whoever  neglects  to   assemble,   and  do 


1 

p 

f:! 

i 

!:i 

144 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


service  in  the  Loyal  militia,  should  be  made  to  serve  in  the 
regular  army.* 

Lord  Cornwallis,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  an- 
nounced to  Sir  IIenr\-  Clinton:  "Ferguson  is  to  move 
into  Tr3-on  county  with  some  militia,  whom,  he  says,  he 
can  depend  upon  for  doing  their  duty  and  fighting  well ; 
but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  his  own  experience,  as  well  as 
that  of  every  other  officer  is  totally  against  him."  It  is  not 
a  little  singular,  that  his  Lordship,  with  his  poor  opinion  of 
the  fighting  qualities  of  the  Tories,  should  have  ordered 
Ferguson  so  far  Heyond  the  reach  of  succor,  in  case  of 
danger.  As  he  could  not  spare  any  detachment  of  regulars 
to  give  them  countenance,  he  probably  hoped  that  the 
Whigs  were  so  far  cowed  and  dispersed,  that  they  would 
not  give  Ferguson  any  serious  opposition. 

As  McDowell,  Clarke,  Shelby,  and  Williams  had  retired 
to  the  back  parts  of  North. Carolina,  Ferguson,  after  awhile, 
followed  into  that  quarter.  His  detachments,  however, 
during  the  heats  of  summer,  performed  many  of  their  move- 
ments at  night,  and  kept  beating  about  in  various  direc- 
tions, sometimes  in  the  North  Province  and  sometimes  in 
the  South,  in  search  of  prominent  Whig  leaders,  over-awing 
all  opposition,  pluiuioring  whenever  they  found  anything 
which  they  needed  or  coveted,  and  administering  the  oath 
of  allegiance  to  all  who  would  take  it,  with  liberal  tenders 
of  pardon  to  those  who  had  been  active  and  prominent  par- 
ticipators in  the  rebellion.  Many  submissions  were  made  ; 
but  oftener,  when  Ferguson's  and  Dunlap's  parties  would 
call  for  the  head  of  a  Whig  family,  he  was  pretty  certain, 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  not  to  be  found  at  home — where  he 
was,  his  wife  and  children  could  not  say,  for,  in  truth,  they 
seldom  knew,  for  the  patriots  and  out-lyers  beat  about  quite 
as  much  as  those  in  quest  of  them. 

In  consequence  of  this  state  of  affairs,  the  old  people, 


*MS.  record  obtained  by  Colonel  Sevier  from  a  Tory  Colonel  at  King's  Mountain,  as 
given  in  Ramsey's  Tennessee,  216-17. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


Uo 


together  witli  the  women  and  children,  would  frequently 
gather  at  the  strongest  and  largest  house  in  their  region, 
taking  with  them  all  their  arms,  ammunition,  and  sucli  housi;- 
hold  goods  as  they  needed,  or  cou  d  not  conceal,  with  some- 
times a  few  men  in  vigorous  life  f  )r  their  protection.  Such 
a  gathering  in  Colonel  Wiliiam  Graham's  neighborhood 
took  place  at  his  residence,  near  the  west  bank  of  Buflalo 
creek,  in  then  Lincoln,  now  Cleveland  county,  about  eight 
miles  north  of  King's  Mountain,  and  about  seven  miles 
south-east  of  the  present  village  of  Shelby.  It  was  a  large, 
hewn-log-house,  weather-boarded,  and,  to  some  extent,  forti- 
fied ;  well  fitted  for  a  successful  defence  against  any  party 
with  small  arms  alone,  and  who  were  not  prepared  to  prose- 
cute a  regular  siege. 

Sometime  in  September,  one  of  these  Tory  marauding 
parties,  consisdng  of  about  twenty-three  in  number,  sud- 
denly made  their  appearance  before  Graham's  Fort.  The 
onl}'  persons  there  capable  of  bearing  arms,  lor  the  defence 
of  the  man}'  helpless  people,  old  and  yoimg,  congregated 
there,  were  Colonel  Graham,  David  Dickey,  and  the  Colo- 
nel's step-son,  William  Twitty,  a  brave  youth  of  nineteen  ; 
but  the}-  were  fearless  and  vigilant.  The  Tory  party 
demanded  admittance,  but  were  promptly  refused  by  Colo- 
nel Graham  and  his  associates.  A  warm  attack  \\  as  com- 
menced, the  Tories  firing  several  volleys,  without  doing 
mucli  damage,  yelling  out  at  tiie  top  of  their  voices,  after 
each  discharge,   "d — n  you,  wont   you  surrender  now?'' 

One  fellow,  John  Burke,  more  venturesome  than  the 
rest,  ran  up  to  the  house,  and  through  a  crack  aimed  at 
young  Twitty,  when  Susan  Twitty,  the  sister  of  the  }"oung 
soldier,  seeing  his  peril,  jerked  her  brother  down  just  as 
the  gun  fired,  the  ball  penetrating  the  opposite  wall.  She 
then  looked  out  of  the  aperture,  and  saw  Burke,  not 
far  olT,  on  his  knees,  re-loading  for  anotlier  fire ;  and 
quickly  comprehending  the  situation,  exclaimed:  "brother 
William,  now's  vour  chance — shoot  the  rascal !  "   The  next 


ill 


J 


f 

1 

1 

1 

1 

\ 

1 

'1 

\    ' 

i 

1 

;i 

1 

■fi  1 


li- 


n. 


146 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


insUmt  young  Tvvitty's  gun  ciacked,  and  the  bold  Tory  was 
shot  through  the  head.  So  eager  was  Miss  Twitty  to  ren- 
der the  good  cause  any  service  in  her  power,  that  she  at 
once  unbarred  tiie  door,  darted  out,  and  brought  in,  amid 
a  shower  of  Tory  bullets,  Burke's  gun  and  ammunition,  as 
trophies  of  victory.  She  fortunately  escaped  unhurt.  It 
was  a  heroic  act  for  a  voun<j  <;irl  of  seventeen.*  LosiniT 
one  of  their  number  killed,  and  three  wounded,  the  Tories 
at  length  beat  a  retreat.  Anticipating  that  the  enemy, 
smarting  imdcr  their  repulse,  would  return  with  increased 
nunjbers.  Colonel  Graham  and  friends  retired  to  a  more  dis- 
tant place  of  safety,  when  a  large  Tory  party  re-appeared, 
with  no  one  to  oppose  them,  and  plundered  the  house  of 
clothing  and  other  valuables,  and  carried  olT  six  of  Colo- 
nel Graham's  negroes. f 

Another  instance  where  a  party  of  the  enemy  fared  no 
better,  occurred  during  the  Tory  ascendency  in  1780. 
Adam  Reep,  a  staunch  Whig,  returning  home,  after  a  tour 
of  service  under  Colonel  Graham,  to  visit  his  famih',  on  the 
western  bank  of  the  Catawba  river,  in  Lincoln  Countv, 
had  scared}'  reached  his  humble  domicile,  when  a  party  of 
ten  or  twelve  Tories,  under  the  leadership  of  a  British  offi- 
cer, made  their  appearance  just  at  the  gray  of  the  evening. 
Reep,  who,  like  a  good  minute  man,  was  always  on  the 
watch,  had  bareh-  time  to  close  and  bar  his  doors,  when  he 
mounted  his  ladder  with  his  faithful  rifle  ;  and  through  some 
port-holes  in  the  loft  of  his  house,  he  blazed  away  at  his 
enemies,  wounding  two  of  them,  when  the  part}-  fell  back 


*  This  noble  heroine  suliseqiiently  married  John  Miller,  and  died  the  14th  of  April.  1825, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Her  son,  Hon.  W.J.  T.  Miller,  represented  Rutherford 
County,  in  the  Legislature  of  North  Carolina,  in  1836-40,  and  subsequently  Cleveland 
County,  wl-.cn  it  was  organized,  and  where  he  still  resides  an  honored  and  useful  citizen. 

Mrs.  Miller's  brother,  William  Twitty,  who  aided  so  gallantly  in  the  defense  of  (Jr.i- 
ham's  Fort,  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  July  i3tli,  1761;  he  served  at  King's  Mountain, 
and  lived  atTwitty's  Ford,  on  Broad  river,  where  he  died  February  2d,  1816,  in  his  fifty- 
fifth  year.  He  has  njany  worthy  decendants.  among  them  William  L.  and  Dr.  T.  B.  Twitty, 
grands<ins,  the  latter  residing  at  the  old  homestead. 

t  MS.  pension  statement  of  Colonel  Ciraham,  and  MS.  correspondence  of  Hon.  W.  J. 
T.  Miller,  William  L.  Twitty,  and  Dr.  T.  U.  Twitty. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


147 


to  a  safer  distance,  and  finally  retired  with  their  disabled 
comrades.* 

Colonel  Ferguson  encamped  awhile  at  Gilbert  Town, 
some  three  miles  north  of  the  present  village  of  Rutherford- 
ton.  For  m;  ny  miles  around  people  wended  their  way  to 
the  head-quarters  of  this  noted  representative  of  the  British 
crown;  thinking,  as  Charleston  had  fallen,  Gates  been 
defeated,  Sumter  surprised  and  dispersed,  and  the  various 
detachments  latel}'  in  force  in  the  Sj^artanburg  region  were 
disbanded  or  scattered,  that  the  Whig  cause  was  now  utterly 
prostrate  and  hopeless.  Many  of  those  who  now  took  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British  Government,  subsequently 
excused  their  conduct  on  the  plea  that  the  countrj'  was  over- 
run, and  that  this  was  the  only  course  by  which  the}'  could 
save  their  property,  secure  themselves  and  families  from 
molestation,  and  at  the  same  time  preserve  the  stock  of  the 
country  for  tlie  supply  of  the  needy  patriots  thereafter. 

While  in  this  mountain  region,  Ferguson  found  he  had 
a  case  of  small-pox  developing  itself.  It  was  one  of  his 
officers,  who  was  left  in  a  deserted  house,  taking  his  favor- 
ite charger  with  him.  And  there  the  poor  fellow  died  in 
this  lonely  situation ;  and  it  is  said  his  neglected  horse  ■ 
lingered  around  till  he  at  length  died  also.  It  was  a  long 
time  before  an}-  of  the  country  people  would  venture  to 
visit  the  solitary  pest-house — 

"And  there  lay  the  rider,  distorted  and  pale, 
With  the  dew  on  his  hrow  and  the  rust  on  his  mail." 

Finall}^  some  one  ventured  there  and  carried  off  the  sword, 
liolsters,  and  pistols,  selling  them  to  John  Ramsour,  who 
gave  tliem,  nearl}^  thirty  years  after,  to  Michael  Reinhardt.f 
Ferguson  led  a  detachment  to  surprise  Colonel  McDow- 
ell at  the  head  of  Cane  creek.  An  engagement  took  place 
with  McDowell's  troops,  who  had  been  beating  about  the 

■*  MS.  stntement  of  W.  M.  Reinhardt.  Esq..  of  LIncolnton,  North  Carolina,  who  many 
years  ago  had  the  facts  from  Reep  himself. 

IMS.  statement  of  W.  M.  Reinhardt,  son  of  Michael,  who  yet  preserves  these  relics 
•if  a  century  ago. 


! 


148 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


mountain  country,  since  retiring  (Votn  Smith's  Ford  on 
Broad  river,  and  were  now  retreating-  towards  the  Watauga 
in  East  Tennessee.  The  Britisli  force  encamped  at  the  noted 
White  Oak  Spring,  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  present 
village  of  Brindletown,  in  Uie  south-eastern  part  of  Burke 
County  as  now  constituted,  and  on  the  direct  road  from 
Morganton  to  Gilbert  Town.  McDowell  leaniing  their 
position,  and  too  weak  to  meet  the  enemy  on  anything  like 
equal  terms,  concluded  to  waylay  them  on  renewing  their 
southward  march.  lie,  therefore,  selected  a  litting  spot  for 
an  ambuscade  at  Bedford's  Hill,  some  three  miles  south- 
west of  Brindletown,  in  the  south-eastern  corner  of 
>rcDowell  County,  and  something  like  llfteen  miles  from 
Gilbert  Town.  This  hill  was  a  small  round  elevation  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  base  of  the  South  Mountains 
then  covered  with  timber  and  surrounded  by  a  soft  swamp  ; 
located  on  the  eastern  side,  and  just  below,  the  Upper 
Crossing  of  Cane  creek,  now  known  as  Cowan's  Ford — 
which  ford  the  hill  commanded.  If  forced  to  retire,  the 
Whigs  had  an  easv  access  to  the  mountains  close  bv,  where 
they  would  be  safe  against  almost  any  force  that  the  enemy 
•  could  send  against  them. 

Here  McDowell's  part}'  awaited  the  coming  of  the  British 
force,  and,  as  they  were  passing  the  ford,  an  indecisive  fight 
transpired.  The  enemy,  after  receiving  the  unexpected 
tire  of  McDowell's  backwoodsmen,  rallied,  and  beat  back 
the  Americans,  killing,  among  others,  one  Scott,  of  Burke 
Count}',  while  standing  beside  the  late  James  Murphy,  of 
that  region.  B\'  the  heroic  efforts  especially  of  Major 
Joseph  McDowell — the  Colonel's  brother.  Captain  Thomas 
Kennedy,  and  one  McKay,  the  Whigs  were  again  brought 
into  action.  Major  McDowx^ll  was  particularly  active, 
swearing  roundly  that  he  would  never  yield,  nor  should  his 
Burke  boys — appealing  to  them  to  stand  by  and  die  with 
him,  if  need  be.  B}-  their  united  bravery  and  good  bush- 
whacking management,  in  which  their  real  wick«f4ness  was 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


140 


concealed,  and  by  their  activity  and  well  directed  rifle-sliois 
they  succeeded  in  inllictinir  considerable  execution  on  tlieir 
antaj^onists — killing  several,  and,  among  others,  wounding 
Major  Dunlap.  The  British  now  retired  to  Gilbert  Town, 
conveying  their  disabled  commander  with  them,  who  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  leg;  while  McDowell's  parly, 
numbering  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  only,  directed  their 
retreat  up  the  Catawba  valley,  and  over  the  mountains, 
for  the  friendly  Watauga  setUements. 

Qiiite  a  number  of  human  bones  were  brought  to  light, 
some  fort}'  years  ago,  at  the  point  where  this  Cane  creek 
fight  occurred — the  remains  of  the  British  and  Tories  who 
fell  in  this  spirited  contest.  This  action  occurred,  according 
to  Lieutenant  Allaire's  MS.  Diary,  on  the  twelfth  of  Sep- 
tember;  and  had  its  influence,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  in 
rousing  the  people  over  the  mountaius,  as  well  as  in  Wilke  . 
and  Surry,  to  embody  under  their  gallant  leaders,  and  strike 
a  decisive  blow  against  the  bold  invader,  Ferguson.* 

It  has  been  stated,  near  the  close  of  the  chapter  on  the 
Musgrove's  Mill  expedition,  that  Shelby  and  his  associates 
on  that  service  had  agreed,  that  as  soon  as  they  could  col- 
lect the  necessary  force,  they  would  embody  their  several 
detachments,  and  attack  Ferguson.  It  was  correctly  antici- 
pated that  so  soon  as  that  British  leader  and  his  forces 
should  exhaust  the  beef  supply  in  the  Spartanburg  region. 
he  would  be  quite  certain  to  advance  into  Rutherford  and 
Burke  Counties,  in  Nordi  Carolina,  where,  in  the  latter 
especially,  diere  were  large  stocks  of  fine  cattle  ;  and  it  was 

*MS.  letter  of  Colonel  Isaac  T.  Avery,  October  19th,  i860,  to  Hon.  D.  L.  Swain;  MS. 
pension  statements  if  General  Thomas  Kennedy,  Colonel  William  Graham,  James  r>lair, 
William  Walker,  and  Matthew  Knykendall;  General  Lenoir's  Account 0/ King  s  Mountain. 
appended  to  this  volume;  MS.  correspondence  of  Colonel  S.  McDowell  Tate,  of  Morganloii  ; 
T.  A.  Lewis,  of  Rrindletown;  M.  O.  Oickerson  and  A  D.  K.  Wallace,  of  Riitherfordton, 
North  Carolina;  the  venerable  Andrew  I!.  Long,  of  Rutherford  County,  whose  father,  at 
the  time  of  this  action  a  hoy  of  ten  years,  resided  on  Cane  creek  ;  and  Wm.  L.  and  Dr 
T.  B.  Twitty  also  of  Rutherford  County. 

Lieutenant  Allaire's  Diary  not  only  s\i|iplies  the  date  of  this  little  engagement,  but 
serves  to  corroborate  the  tradition  of  the  country,  that  McDowell's  men  were  drawn  up 
"on  an  eminence" — Ijedfonl's  Hill  apparently;  that,  according  to  this  account,  the  Whigs 
were  worsted,  losing  one  priv.ite  killed,  Captain  White  wounded,  sev  uteen  prisoners,  and 
twenty  pounds  of  powder  while  the  liritish  had  one  killed,  and  two  wounded— Captain 
Dunlap,  one  of  them,  receiving  two  wounds. 


\         * 


I 


.1 


160 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


W] 


onjoinod  on  Coloni-l  Charli-s  MfDowi'll,  to  doviso  the  host 
nu'iuis  possible*  to  pri'sorvc  thesi.'  stocks  from  the  grasp  of 
the  British  and  Tories. 

Coh)nel  McDowell  called  the  leading  men  of  the  Upper 
Catawba  valley  together,  and  suggested,  simply  to  meet  the 
present  emergency,  that  they  should  repair  to  Gilbert  Town, 
take  Hritish  protection,  and  thereby  save  the  Whig  stock, 
so  necessary  for  the  support  of  the  country,  from  being 
approjiriated  by  the  eneiu)  ;  that  no  man  would  thereby 
become  a  Tory  at  heart,  but  would  merely  exercise  a  wise 
stroke  of  public  policy — that  the  end  would  justify  the 
means  and  render  the  country  a  good  service.  Uaniel 
Smith,  afterwards  Colonel,  Captains  Tliomas  Lytic  and 
Thomas  Hemphill,  Robert  Patton,  and  John  McDowell,  of 
Pleasant  Garden — better  known  as  I  halting  John  McDowell 
— absolutely  refused  to  engage  in  any  such  course,  {ind 
stated  that  they  would  drive  all  the  stock  they  could  collect 
into  the  deep  coves  at  the  base  of  the  Black  Mountain  ;  that 
others  might,  if  they  would,  take  protection  and  save  the 
remainder  that  could  not  be  readily  collected  and  concealed. 
Captain  John  Carson,  a  distinguished  Indian  tighter,  after- 
wards known  as  Colonel  Carson,  Benjamin  and  William 
Davidson,  and  otlters,  were  designated  to  take  protection, 
a\id  thus  save  many  valuable  herds  of  cattle  from  the  grasp 
of  the  enemy.*  It  was  a  very  ungracious  act  on  their  part ; 
but  Carson  and  his  associates  deemed  it  justifiable  under 
the  circumstances — suggested  and  urged,  as  it  was,  by 
Colonel  Mci)owell,  in  behalf  of  the  Whij;  cause.  While 
they  accomplished  the  object  they  had  in  view,  their 
motives,  in  the  course  of  time,  were  unjustly  misjudged 
and  impugned. f 


*  MS.  statements  of  General  Joseph  McDowell  and  Colonel  David  Vance,  made  in  1797, 
and  preserved  by  the  late  Hon.  Robert  Henry — all  participants  in  the  King's  Mountain 
campaign. 

f  Hon.  Samuel  P.  Carson,  a  distinguished  member  of  Congress,  and  son  of  Colonel  Car- 
son, resented  an  .ispersion  on  his  venerable  father's  character,  when  charged  with  having 
been  a  Tory,  which  resulted  in  an  unfortunate  duel,  and  the  death  of  his  antagonist. 


AND   ITS  HEROES. 


151 


As  hud  been  untiiipated  by  tlie  patriots,  Ferguson,  eitlier 
in  full  force,  or  witli  a  stron<;'  detachment,  penetrated  into 
the  very  heart  of  liurke  County — as  far  as  Davidson's 
"  Old  Fort,"  in  tlie  extreme  western  part  of  then  Burke, 
now  iMcDowt'ii  county  ;  *  and  a  few  miles  farthi-r  north,  up 
the  Catawba  Valley,  as  far  as  the  old  ICdmondson  ]ilace, 
since  McEntyre's,  on  Muck  creek  at  the  foot  of  the  lilue 
Ridjfe.  On  their  way  thither,  the  Hrilish  force  was  supplied 
with  beef,  corn,  and  other  necessaries,  by  one  Wilson,  an 
Irishman,  who  afterwards  mi<(rated  to  Tennessee,  and  for 
which  he  received  a  drat't  on  the  British  (jovernment  from 
which,  probably,  he  never  received  any  avails.  \ 

While  in  the  rej^ion  of  Old  Fort,  a  detachment  of  the 
enemy,  under  the  command,  it  is  believed,  of  Col.  Fergu- 
son, concluded  to  pay  a  visit  to  Captain  Thomas  Lytle,  a 
noted  Whig  leader,  who  resided  some  four  miles  south-west 
of  that  locality  on  Crooked  creek.  Mrs.  Lytle,  a  spirited 
woman,  heard  of  this  intended  visitation  a  little  in  ad\ance 
of  the  approach  of  the  party,  and  concluded  she  would 
don  her  nice  new  gown  and  beaver  hat,  in  procuring  which 
for  his  young  wife,  Captain  Lytle  had  spent  n^uirly  all  his 
Continental  money.  It  was  pardonable  of  Mrs.  Lytle  to 
make  this  display',  for  there  were  no  meetings  or  public 
gatherings,  in  that  Irontier  mountain  region,  in  those  troub- 
lous times,  where  she  could  appear  in  her  gaudy  arra}'  of 
new  finery.  She  naturally  felt  a  secret  satisfaction,  as  her 
husband  was  not  in  the  way  of  danger,  that  this  occasion 
had  presented  itself,  in  which  she  could  gratify  the  feelings 
of  a  woman's  pride  in  making  what  she  regarded  as  an 
uncommonly  attractive  appearance.  She  took  unusual 
pains  in  making  up  her  toilet ;  for  though  she  was  no  Tory, 
she  yet  supposed  that  Colonel  Ferguson  was  a  gentleman, 
as  well  as  a  prominent  British  officer. 


*MS,  Correspondence  of  Colonel  Silas  McDowell. 

+  MS.  letter  of  Colonel  Isaac  T.  Avery,  November  2d,  i860,  on  authority  of  Major  Ben 
Biirgi;i,  whose  memory  went  back  to  the  Revolution. 


•tl: 


f. 


lii. 


m 


152 


A'/JVG  'S  MO  UNTAIN 


At  length,  the  Colonel,  at  the  head  of  his  squadron,  leis- 
urely rtxle  up  toward  the  house.  He  halted  in  front  t)f  the 
door,  and  inquired  if  he  could  ha\e  the  pleasure  t)f  a  few 
moments'  conversation  with  Captain  Lytle?  Mrs.  Lytle 
stepped  to  the  door  in  full  costume — probably  the  best 
dressed  lady  the  Colonel  had  seen  since  he  left  Charles- 
ton—  and  dropping  him  a  polite  coiu'tesy,  in  accordance 
with  the  fashion  of  that  day,  invited  him  to  alight  and 
come  in.  He  thanked  her,  but  his  business,  he  said, 
required  haste ;  that  the  King's  army  had  restored  his 
authorit}^  in  all  the  Southern  Provinces,  and  that  the  rebel- 
lion was  virtually  quelled  ;  that  he  had  come  up  the  Valley 
to  see  Captains  Lytle  and  Hemphill,  and  a  few  others,  who 
had  served  in  the  Rebel  army  against  the  King,  and  that 
he  was  the  bearer  of  pardons  for  each  of  them. 

"My  husband,"  Mrs.  Lytle  replied,  "  is  from  home." 

"Madame,"  inquired  the  Colonel,  earnestly,  "do  you 
know  where  he  is  ?  " 

"To  be  candid  with  you,  Colonel,"  said  Mrs.  Lytle,  "  I 
really  do  not ;  I  only  know  that  he  is  out  with  others  of  his 
friends  whom  you  call  Rebels." 

"  Well,  madame,"  replied  Ferguson,  deprecatingly,  "  I 
have  discharged  m}'  duty ;  I  felt  anxious  to  sa\e  Captain 
Lytle,  because  I  learn  that  \\q,  is  both  brave  and  honorable. 
If  he  persists  in  rebellion,  and  comes  to  harm,  his  blood 
be  upon  his  own  head." 

"Colonel  Ferguson,"  she  responded,  thoughtfully  but 
firmly,  "  I  don't  know  how  this  war  may  end  ;  it  is  not  un- 
unlikely  that  my  husband  may  fall  in  battle  ;  all  I  positively 
know  is,  that  he  will  never  prove  a  traitor  to  his  countr}-." 

"  Mrs.  Lytle,"  said  the  Colon.'l, patronizingly,  "I  admire 
you  as  the  handsomest  woman  I  have  seen  in  North  Caro- 
lina— I  even  half  zvav  admire  vour  zeal  in  a  bad  cause ; 
but,  take  my  word  for  it,  the  rebellion  has  had  its  day,  and 
is  now  virtually  put  down.  Give  m}-  kind  regards  to  Cap- 
tain Lytle,  and  tell  him  to  come  in.     He  will  not  be  asked 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


153 


to  compromise  his  lionor ;  his  verbal  pledge  not  again  to 
take  up  arms  against  the  King,  is  all  that  will  he  asked  of 
him."  He  then  bowed  to  Mrs.  Lytle,  and  led  oft'  his 
troop.  A  straggler  in  the  rear  rode  back,  and  taking  otT 
his  old  slouched  hat,  made  her  a  low  bow,  and  with  his  left 
hand  lifted  her  splendid  beaver  from  her  head,  replacing  it 
with  his  wretched  apology,  observing  with  mock  gravity, 
"Mrs.  Lyile,  I  can  not  leave  so  handsome  a  lady  without 
something  by  which  to  remember  you."  As  he  rode  oft', 
she  hallooed  after  him:  "You'll  bite  the  dust  for  that,  you 
villain  !  "  Thus  Mrs.  Lytle  momentarily  enjoyed  the  occa- 
sion of  arraying  herself  in  her  best ;  but,  as  she  afterwards 
confessed,  she  paid  dearly  for  the  gratification  of  her  pride, 
and  long  mourned  the  loss  of  her  beautiful  beaver  hat.* 

Colonel  McDowell  had  completely  outwitted  Ferguson 
and  his  plundering  Tory  followers  ;  and  the  hungr}^  horde, 
who  invaded  the  Upper  Catawba  Valley  with  high  hopes 
and  expectations,  returned  to  their  camps  near  Gilbert 
Town  loithont  any  beef  cattle  as  a  recompense  for  all  tlicir 
toils  and  troubles. 

After  the  aft'.tir  at  Cane  creek,  and  the  final  retirement 
beyond  the  mountains  of  the  last  remnant  of  embodied 
Whig  forces  in  the  western  region  of  the  Carolinas,  Fergu- 
son thouirht  the  matter  decided.  When  William  Green 
rode  up  with  a  troop  of  cavahy,  and  tendered  his  and  their 
services  for  the  defense  of  the  King's  cause,  Ferguson 
thanked  diem  for  their  loyalty  ;  but  declined  their  accept- 
ance, as  the  country  was  subdued,  and  everything  was  quiet. 

It  was  reported  to  Colonel  Ferguson,  that  Jonathan 
Hampton,  a  son  of  Colonel  Andrew  Hampton,  residing  in 
the  vicinity  of  Gilbert  Town,  held  the  King's  authority  in 

'■'  MS.  corrcspDiulciice  with  the  late  Colimel  Silas  McPrwell.  of  Macon  County,  North 
Carolina,  in  1873-74,  who  had  these  particulars  from  Mrs.  Lytic  herself.  Colonel  McDowell 
thought  it  was  Tarlelon  who  visiteil  Captain  Lytle's,  but  it  could  nut  have  been,  as  his 
"Campaigns"  and  map  of  the  route  of  his  excursions  show  that  he  was  never  above 
Covan's  Ford  on  the  Catawba,  while  it  is  certain  that  Co;i)nel  Ferguson  was  in  Kurke 
County.  Captain  I-ytle  ilicil  not  very  far  from  iSjj,  at  the  age  of  about  ciKlitythrce  years; 
and  his  venerable  ccmipaniun  gently  passed  away  about  the  same  time. 


\>  V 


U- 


154 


A'/A'G  •  S  MO  UNTAIN 


ill 


great  contempt ;  that  he  had  the  hardihood  to  accept  a  com- 
mission of  Justice  of  the  Peace  from  the  Rebel  Government 
of  North  Carolina,  and  had,  only  recently,  ventured,  b}- 
virtue  of  that  instrument,  to  unite  Thomas  Fleming  and 
a  neighboring  young  lady  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock. 
It  was  a  high  crime  and  misdemeanor  in  British  and  Tory 
eyes.  So  a  party  of  four  or  live  hundred  men  were  dis- 
patched, under  Majors  Plummer  and  Lee,  to  visit  the 
Hampton  settlement,  four  or  five  miles  south-west  of  Gil- 
bert I'ovvn,  to  apprehend  young  Hampton,  and  possibh' 
.entrap  his  father  at  the  same  time.  But  the  Colonel  had 
lelt  the  day  before,  and  re-united  with  McDowell's  forces. 
Riding  up  to  young  Hampton's  cabin,  they  found  him  sit- 
ting at  the  door,  fastening  on  his  leggings,  and  getting 
himself  in  readiness  to  follow  his  father  to  the  Whig  camp 
in  some  secluded  localit}-  in  the  mountain  coves  of  that 
region. 

At  this  moment,  James  Miller,  and  Andrew  and  David 
Dickey,  three  Whig  friends,  came  within  hailing  distance, 
and  hallooed:  "Jonathan,  are  those  men  in  the  yard, 
friends  or  foes  !  " 

Hampton,  without  exercising  ordinary  prudence,  re- 
plied :  "  Boys,  whoever  you  are,  they  are  d — d  Red  Coals 
and  Tories — clear  yourselves  !  " 

As  they  started  to  run,  the  Tories  fired  two  or  three  vol- 
leys at  them  ;  but  they  fortunately  escaped  unhurt.  Per- 
haps Hampton  presumed  somewhat  upon  his  partially 
crippled  condition  that  forbearance  would  be  shown  him, 
for  he  was  reel-footed ;  yet  he  managed  to  perform  many  a 
good  service  for  his  country,  and,  as  in  this  case,  would 
lose  sight  of  self,  when  he  could  hope  to  beneiit  his  friends. 
Mrs.  Hampton  chided  him  for  his  imi  'udence,  saying: 
"Why,  Jo.  ihan,  you  are  the  most  ungi  rded  man  I  ever 
saw\" 

The  Tory  party  cursed  him  soundly  for  a  d — d  Rebel, 
and  Major  Lee  knocked  him  down,  and  tried  to  ride  over 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


165 


him,  but  his  horse  jumped  clear  over  his  body  without 
toucliing  him.  Lee  had  just  belbre  appropriated  Hamp- 
ton's horse  as  better  than  his  own,  and  it  may  be  that  tlie 
animal  recognized  his  master,  and  declined  t(j  be  a  party 
to  his  injury.  While  Major  Plummer  was  courteous  and 
considerate,  Major  Lee  was  rude  and  unfeeling  in  the 
extreme.  Hampton,  and  his  wile's  brother,  Jacob  Ilyder, 
were  made  prisoners ;  and  those  who  had  Hampton  in 
charge,  swore  that  they  would  hang  him  on  the  spot,  and 
began  to  uncord  his  bed  for  a  rope  for  the  purpose,  when 
Mrs.  Hampton  ran  to  Major  Plummer  with  the  alarm,  and 
he  prompU}'  interposed  to  prevent  the  threatened  execution. 
Some  of  the  disappointed  Tories,  who  thirsted  lor  his 
blood,  declared  in  his  presence,  that  Ferguson  would  put 
so  notorious  a  Rebel  to  death  the  moment  he  laid  eyes  on 
him.  Major  Plummer  informed  Hampton  if  he  could 
give  security  for  his  appearance  the  next  day  at  Gilbert 
Town,  he  might  remain  over  night  at  home.  He  tried 
several  Loyalists  whom  he  knew,  but  they  declined  ;  and 
linally  Major  Plummer  himself  otlered  to  be  his  seccrily. 
According  to  appointment,  the  next  day  Hampton  pre- 
sented himself  to  Ferguson,  at  Gilbert  Town,  who  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  his  case.  When  asked  his  name,  he 
frankly  told  him,  adding,  that,  though  in  the  power  of  his 
enemies,  he  would  never  deny  the  honored  name  of  Hamp- 
ton. Major  Dunlap,  then  on  crutches,  entering  the  room, 
inquired  of  Colonel  Ferguson  the  name  of  the  Rebel 
on  trial?  "  Hampton,"  replied  Ferguson.  This  seemed  to 
rouse  Dunlap's  ire,  who  repeated  thoughtfully:  "Hamp- 
ton— ^Hampton — that's  the  name  of  a  d — d  Hnc-looking 
young  Rebel  I  killed  a  while  since,  on  the  head  of  Paco- 
let,"  referring  to  the  alTair  at  Earle's  Ford,  when  Noah 
Hampton,  a  brother  of  the  prisoner,  was  murdered  in  cold 
blood.  Dunlap  added:  "Yes;  I  now  begin  to  recall 
something  of  this  fellow  ;  aRd  though  a  cripple,  he  has  done 
more  harm  to  the  Ro}al  ctuse  than  ten  lighting  men  ;  he  is 


■ .'  i 


m 


'  ■    '.  n 


M'r 


I 


'if 

:-, 


166 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


one  of  the  d — cUst  Rebels  in  all  the  countiy,  and  ought  to 
be  strung  up  at  once,  without  fear  or  favor." 

Jonathan  Hampton  had,  indeed,  been  an  unwearied 
friend  of  the  Wiiig  cause.  lie  was  a  good  talker  ;  he  kept 
up  the  spirits  of  the  people,  and  helped  to  rally  the  men 
when  needed  for  militar}'  service.  E\en  in  his  crippled 
condition,  he  would  cheerfully  lend  a  helping  hand  in  stand- 
ing guard  ;  and,  when  apprehended,  was  about  abandoning 
his  home  to  join  his  father  and  McDowell  in  their  ilight  to 
Watauga.  But  Ferguson  was  more  prudent  and  humane 
than  Dunlap,  and  dismissed  both  Hampton  and  Ilyder  on 
their  parole.  Hampton  observed  when  Ferguson  wrote  the 
paroles,  he  did  so  with  his  left  hand  ;  for,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, his  right  arm  had  been  badly  shattered  at  Brandy  wine, 
the  use  of  which  he  had  never  recovered,  Hyder  tore  up 
his  parole,  shortly  after  leaving  Ferguson's  presence  ;  but 
Hampton  retained  his  as  long  as  he  lived,  but  never  had 
occasion  to  use  it,  as  Ferguson  shortly  after  retired  to 
King's  Mountain,  and  the  region  of  Gilbert  Town  was 
never  after  invaded  by  a  British  force.* 

Major  James  Dunlap,  who  figured  so  prominently  in  the 
military  operations  in  Spartanburg  during  the  summer  of 
1780,  now  claims  at  our  hands  a  further  and  final  notice. 
Of  his  origin,  we  have  no  account.  He  must  have  been  a 
man  of  enterprise,  for  he  was  commissioned  a  Captain  in 
the  Qiieen's  Rangers,  a  partisan  corps,  November  twenty- 
seventh,  1776.  This  corps  had  been  raised  during  the  sum- 
mer and  autumn  of  that  year,  from  native  Loyalists,  mostly 
refugees  from  Connecticut,  and  from  the  vicinit}-  of  New 


*MS.  correspondence  of  Adam  and  James  J,  Hampton,  sons  of  \  athaii  Hampton,  in 
i87:!-74;  MS.  letter  of  Colonel  Isaac  T.  Avery,  October  19th,  i860;  and  MS.  leiter  of  Colo- 
nel Silas  M.  |)ottcll,  July  13th,  1873. 

This  sterlinu;  iiatriot,  Jonathan  Hampton,  was  born  on  Dutchman's  creek,  Lincoln 
County,  near  the  Catawba  river.  North  Carolina,  in  1751;  and  when  nearly  urow".  he 
removed  with  his  father,  and  settled  on  Mountain  creek,  four  or  five  miles  south-west  of 
Ciilbert  Town.  He  was  many  years  clerk  of  the  Rutherford  court,  and  five  years  repre> 
scntcd  the  County  in  the  State  Senate  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  He  died 
at  Gilbert  Town,  October  3d  1S43.  at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-two  years.  Of  his  large 
family,  but  one  son  survives — Jonathan  Hampton,  Jr.,  now  eighty-five  years  of  age. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


157 


York,  by  Colonel  Robert  Rogers,  who  had  distiniruishecl 
himself  with  a  corps  ot"  Rangers  on  tJie  frontiers  of  New 
York  and  Canada,  during  the  French  and  Indian  war  of 
1755-60.  The  month  before  Dunlap  had  become  a  Captain 
in  the  corps,  Rogers  had  been  surprised  at  Mamoroneck, 
on  Long  Island  Sound,  losing  nearly  eighty  killed  and  cap- 
tured, together  with  sixty  stand  of  arms.* 

Such  was  the  daring  and  good  service  of  the  Qiieen's 
Rangers  at  Brandy  wine,  September  eleventh,  1777,  that 
the  British  Commander-in-chief  particularh'  complimented 
them  "  for  their  spirited  and  gallant  behavior  in  the  engage- 
ment," f  in  which  they  suOered  severel}'.  The  ensuing 
ve  .r  they  shared  in  the  operations  around  Philadelphia, 
and  in  New  Jersey.  In  the  affair  at  Hancock's  House, 
near  Salem,  New  Jersey,  on  the  night  of  the  twentieth  of 
March,  1778,  Captain  Dunlap  bore  a  prominent  part.  The 
order  was  a  most  sanguinary  one: — "  Go — spare  no  one — 
■put  (ill  to  death — give  no  quarters!"'  The  house  was  gar- 
risoned by  twent}'  men,  under  Captain  Carleton  Sheppard  ; 
and  with  them  were  four  Loyalist  prisoners — ^Judge  Han- 
cock, the  owner  of  the  house,  and  three  other  C^iakers — 
one  of  whom  was  Charles  Fogg,  "a  very  aged  ""lan."  All 
were  asleep,  and  the  work  of  death  by  the  sword  and  bayo- 
net was  quick  and  terrible.  Some  accounts  represent  that 
all.  others  two-thirds,  of  the  occupants,  garrison  and  prison- 
ers, were  horribly  mangled  by  Dunlap  and  his  fiendish  as- 
sociates— among  them  were  Judge  Hancock  and  some  of 
his  Qiiaker  brethren.  Simcoe,  of  the  Rangers,  speaks  of 
this  undesigned  destruction  of  their  friends  as  "among  the 
real  miseries  of  war,"  though  he  had  no  tears  to  shed  for 
the  score  or  two  of  patriots  who  fell  without  resistance.;); 

Dunlap  and  the  Qiieen's  Rangers  shared  in  the  British 
retreat  from  Philadelphia  to  New  York,  and  in  the  battle  of 

*  Lossing's  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution,  ii,  615. 
t  Simcoe's  /c«r«(7.',  310- 

J  Johnson's  History  of  Salem.  New  Jersey;  I!arl>er  and  Howe's  Historical  Collections 
cf  Xc-kO  Jersey,  426-28;  I.ossing's  Field  Book,  ii,  139;  'ii\n\coti's  Journal,  51-52. 


If 


fffe 


168 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Monmouth,  in  June,  1778.  On  the  tliirty-first  of  Au^ifust 
ensuing,  the  Rangers  participated  in  a  bloody  afl'air  near 
King's  Bridge,  on  the  Hudson.  A  party  of  Americans  and 
friendly  Stockbridge  Indians  were  drawn  into  an  ambus- 
cade, which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  nearly-  forty — fully  twenty 
of  whom  were  Indians,  either  killed  or  desperately  woim- 
ded,  and  among  the  slain  were  Ninham,  their  chief,  and  his 
son  of  the  same  name/"  The  following  year,  besides  some 
garrison  duty  at  Oyster  Ba}',  the  Rangers  served  on  forag- 
ing and  scouting  parties,  during  which  they  encountered 
some  occasional  skirmishing.  In  one  of  these  forays,  at 
Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  they  were  unexpectedly  fired  upon 
by  the  Americans  in  ambush  ;  and  among  other  casualties, 
their  commander,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Simcoe,  was  t:iken 
prisoner.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  early  in  1780,  declared  that 
the  history  of  the  corps  had  been  a  "series  of  gallant,  skil- 
ful, and  successful  enterprises  against  the  enemy,  without  a 
reverse,  and  have  killed  and  taken  twice  their  own  num- 
bers." f 

Such  were  the  services  of  the  Qiieen's  Rangers,  and  the 
experience  of  Captain  Dunlap,  prior  to  his  engaging  in  the 
expedition  against  Charleston,  in  December,  1779.  He 
would  seem  to  have  been  one  of  the  picked  officers  of  Colo- 
nel Ferguson,  for  his  select  partisan  corps  for  this  new 
enterprise.  Dunlap  shared  in  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Charleston,  doubtless  in  the  same  operations,  as  described 
in  a  previous  chapter,  in  which  Ferguson's  corps  was 
engaged,  and  was  sent  to  the  western  borders  of  South 
Carolina,  under  Ferguson,  immediately  after  the  fall  of 
Charleston.  His  attack  on  McDowell's  force  at  Earle's 
Ford,  on  Nordi  Pacolet,  and  the  affair  near  Cedar  Spring 
and  WolTord's  Iron  Works,  together  with  the  engagement 
at  Cane  creek,  where  he  was  severely  wounded,  have 
already  been  related. 

*>  Continental  Journal,  September  17th,  1778;  Simcoe's  Military  Journal,  83-86,  and 
accompanying  iliagrnm:  Massacre  0/  the  Stockbridge  Indians,  by  Thomas  F.  De  Vne,  in 
Magazine  of  American  History,  September,  1880. 

f  Simcoc'syo«r>;n/|  introductory  memoir,  x. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


159 


Major  Dunlap  has  left  behind  liim  an  unenviable  repu- 
tation. Tiie  bloody  \voik  he  performed  at  the  Hancock 
House,  and  his  share  in  the  destruction  of  Ninham  and  his 
Stockbridi(e  warriors,  would  appear  to  have  been  in  the 
line  of  his  taste  and  character.  "He  had,"  says  Judge 
Johnson,  in  his  Life  of  Greene,  "  rendered  himself  infamous 
by  his  barbarity."  "His  severities,"  said  Major  James 
Sevier,  one  of  the  King's  Mountain  men.  "incensed  the 
people  against  him."  It  is  certain  he  was  an  advocate  for 
hanging  Whigs  for  no  other  crime  than  sympathizing  with 
their  si;tTering  countrv  ;  his  brutal  language  to  this  etlect, 
in  the  presence  of,  and  concerning  Jonathan  Hampton,  must 
be  fresh  in  the  reader's  remembrance.  That  such  a  man, 
characterized  by  such  practices,  should,  sooner  or  later, 
come  to  an  untimely  end,  is  neither  strange  nor  unexpected. 

Snuffing  the  approaching  storm,  Ferguson  suddenly 
abandoned  his  camp  at  Gilbert  Town  to  avoid  the  approach 
of  the  over-mountain  men.  Dunlap,  upon  his  crutches,  and 
in  such  a  hurried  retreat,  was  in  no  condition  to  accompany 
the  retiring  forces.  William  Gilbert,  with  whom  he  was 
stopping  while  recovering  from  his  wound,  was  a  103'al 
friend  of  King  George  ;  and  while  he  himself  seems  to  have 
gone  oft'  with  Ferguson,  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  the  familv  re- 
mained to  take  proper  care  of  the  invalid.  A  soldier  of  the 
name  of  Coates  was  left  to  wait  upon  him,  but  who,  not 
long  after,  pro\  oking  the  mortal  ire  of  a  negro  of  Gilbert's, 
was  killed  by  him,  and  his  remains  consumed  in  a  coal-pit. 

This  event  of  ill-omen  was  speedily  followed  by  an  almost 
tragic  occur'^^nce.  ''^  iie  avenger  of  blood  was  nigh.  Two 
or  three  men  from  vSpartanburg  rode  to  the  door  of  the  Gil- 
bert house,  shortly  after  Ferguson  had  commenced  his 
retreat  for  King's  Mountain,  when  the  leader,  Cap^^-vln  Gil- 
lespie, asked  Mrs.  Gilbert  if  Major  Dunlap  was  not  up 
stairs?  She  frankl}'  replied  that  he  was,  probably  supposing 
that  the  party  were  Lo\-a]ists,  and  had  some  important  com- 
munication   for  him.      They  soon   disabused   her   of  their 


\ 


ii  mix 


lii 


;j 


ii 


,\ 


. 


IGO 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


characttT  and  mission,  for  they  declarod  that  ho  liad  been 
instrutncntal  in  piittin<^  sonio  of  their  f'-icnds  to  di-alli,  and, 
mort'oxcr,  liad  alKhutcd  the  beautiful  Mary  McRi-a,  the  alli- 
anced  of  Captain  Gillespie,  as  she  would  not  encourage  his 
amorous  advances,  and  kept  her  in  confinement,  trusting 
that  she  would  in  time  }ield  to  his  wishes  ;  but  death  came 
to  her  relief,  she  probably  dying  broken-hearted.  They 
had  now  come  for  revenge  ;  Gillespie,  particularly,  uttering 
his  imprecations  on  the  head  of  the  cruel  destroyer  of  all 
his  earthly  hopes.  So  saving,  thi'y  mounted  the  stairs, 
when  Gillespie  abruptly  approached  Dunlap,  as  he  lav  in 
bed,  with  the  inquiry:  '' Where  is  Mary  McRea?"  "In 
heaven,"  was  tlu'  reply  ;  whereupon  the  injured  Captain 
shot  him  througli  the  body  ;  and  quicklv  remounting  iheir 
horses,  GilK'spie  and  his  associates  bounded  away  towards 
their  Spartanburg  homes.  This  is  the  tradition,  sifted  and 
collated,  as  preserved  in  the  Hampton  famil}-.* 

Colonel  Silas  McDowell,  who  visited  his  old  friend,  Jona- 
than Hampton,  in  183 r.  heard  him  relate  the  story  of  Dun- 
lap  being  shot,  but  could  only  recall  the  main  fact,  that  the 
perpetrator  of  the  act,  some  friend  of  Noah  Hp.mpton,  whon; 
Dunlap  had  boasted  of  slaying,  had  rushed  to  the  Major's 
up-stairs  room,  and  shot  him  through  the  body  as  he  lay  on 
his  couch.  M.  O.  Dickerson.  Esq.,  of  Rutherfordton,  has 
had  substantially  the  same  relation  from  Mr.  Hampton. 
The  old  Gilbert  house  was  then  standing,  and  Hampton 
pointed  out  t(j  both  these  visitors  the  stain  of  Dunlap's  blood 
still  discernible  upon  the  floor ;  and  there  are  others,  still 
living,  who  have  seen  it  also.  This  venerable  building, 
in  which  the  earlv  courts  of  the  County  were  held,  when 
about  to  fall  from  age,  was  taken  down  some  four  or  five 
years  since,  by  its  present  owner,  J.  A.  Forney,  Esq.,  who 

*MS.  correspondente  witli  the  late  venerable  Adam  and  James  J.  Hampton,  in  1S73- 
74  ;  and  the  present  venerable  Jnnathan  Hanipt<m.  in  18S0,  sons  of  the  patriot,  Jonathan 
Hampton.  Sr. 

M.  O.  Dickerson  states  that  it  lias  been  handed  down  as  tlie  o|iinion  of  some  of  the  old 
people  of  that  rcj^ion,  tnat  Mrs.  Gilbert  and  her  son  made  way  with  the  nnfortunate  Major 
Dunlap  ;  but  this  seems  to  have  been  a  cruel  and  baseless  suspicion. 


7) 

w 


■y 


o 

o 
w 


;,:iiii iiliillillllillilllliiilillilllllllliillllilillillillll^^ 


h 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


IGI 


has  preserved  the  hlood-stained  floor-plank.  While  these 
traditi(ms  difVer  somewhat  in  their  details,  all  having  a  com- 
mon origin  from  the  old  patriarch,  Jonathan  Ilamjiton,  Sr., 
the}'  all  agree  in  the  general  conclusion,  that  Dunlap  was 
shot  in  retaliation  for  alleged  cruelties — either  in  killing 
Whigs,  or  abducting  Miss  McRea,  or  both  ;  and  all  coin- 
cide in  the  belief,  that  the  redoubtable  Major  was  killed 
outright,  and  buried  about  three  hundred  3ards  south  of  the 
Gilbert  house,  the  grave  being  still  pointed  out,  marked  by 
a  granite  rock  at  the  head  and  foot.* 

Major  James  Holland  lived  at  Gilbert  Town  for  many 
years,  and  was  a  prominent  character.  In  1783,  he  repre- 
sented Rutherford  County  in  the  State  Senate  ;  in  1786  and 
1789,  he  was  in  the  House  of  Commtnis,  and  served  a  term 
in  Congress  from  1795  to  1797.  In  this  latter  year,  he  was 
again  chosen  to  a  seat  in  the  State  Senate,  and  then  served 
live  consecutive  terms  in  Congress,  from  1801  imtil  iSii. 
The  late  venerable  Adam  Ilaiiij^ton  wrote  in  1873  :  '-I  will 
relate  to  3'ou  what  I  heard  Major  James  Holland  sa}-  in 
reference  to  Major  Dunlap's  grave.  He  said  that  in  1809, 
while  serving  as  a  member  of  Congress  at  Washington,  he 
dreamed  that  a  quantitx'  of  gold  was  buried  with  Dunlap, 
and,  on  his  return  home,  he  opened  the  grave,  and  found 
sixty-one  guineas." 

From  all  these  traditions  and  relations,  it  would  ordi- 
narily be  concluded,  that  Dunlap  assuredly  died  of  the 
wound  inflicted  by  Captain  Gillespie.  It  is  quite  clear, 
however,  that  he  did  not.  W\'  can  only  suppose  that,  when 
shot,  he  was  left  unconscious,  or  feigned  death  ;  and  when 
Gillespie's  partv  departed,  it  was  reported,  for  his  safet\-, 
that  he  was  killed  and  buried  near  In* ;  and  it  is  possible, 
that  the  Major  may  have  had  his  servant,  Coates,  secrete 
his  money  there  before  the  latter  was  murdered  bv  the 
ne£{ro.      ThouLrh  in  a  Tcm-v  reirion,  it  would  not  have  been 


m 


*MS.  letters  of  Adam,  James  J.,  ;\iul  Jimatlian  Hampton.  Jr..  and  M.  O.  Dickerson, 
W.  L.  and  Dr.  T.  B.  Twitty,  and  Miss  N.  M.  McDowell. 

n 


1G2 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


safo  to  have  hail  it  known  that  Diinhip  was  still  alive ;  for 
Gillespie,  or  others,  would  surely  have  come  to  make  the 
work  of  death  more  certain  next  time.  He  was  too  feeble, 
with  this  additional  wound,  to  be  removed  at  once  to  Ninety 
Six — the  nearest  IJritish  fort,  after  Cornwallis  had  lied  from 
Charlotte  ;  and  it  was  fully  ninety  miles  from  Ciilhert  Town 
to  Ninety  Six,  in  a  direct  coursi>,  and  consitlerabh  more  by 
such  by-ways  as  it  would  have  been  necessary  to  pursue,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  intervening  Whig  settlements.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  circulating  this  report  of  his  death,  which 
must  have  been  well  kept,  and  which  the  Hampton  family 
fully  credited,  and  which  Major  James  Sevier  corroborated, 
in  a  general  way,  to  the  writer,  in  1S44,  by  asserting,  that 
for  his  cruellies,  Dunlap  had  been  killed  by  a  parly  of 
Whigs  at  Gilbert  Town.  But  as  Major  Sevier  made  no 
mention  of  having  heard  anything  concerning  Dunlap  on 
the  night  of  the  third  of  October,  when  he  and  his  fellow- 
mountaineers  were  at  Gilbert  Town,  the  wounded  Major 
must,  at  that  time,  have  been  secreted  somewhere  in  the 
neighboring  hills  or  fastnesses  for  safety.  And  even  after 
the  war,  as  Gilbert  was  well  known,  and  had  figured  some- 
what in  public  life,  he  may  have  deemed  it  good  policy  to 
refrain  from  revealing  the  fact  that  he  or  his  family  had  so 
long  concealed  Dunlap,  and  perhaps  secretly  aided  him  in 
efiecting  his  escape  to  Ninety  Six. 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  ride,  it  w'ould  seem,  he  was 
conveyed  to  Ninety  Six  ;  and  if  any  gold  had  been  buried 
by  Coates  in  his  behalf,  near  by,  for  safe  keeping.  Major 
Dunlap  must  have  been  unable  to  find  it,  for  had  the  Gil- 
berts isi'creted  it  for  him,  they  would  have  known  the  place 
of  its  concealment.  W";'  find  him  at  Ninety  Six,  in  March, 
17S1,  and  sufficiently  recovered  for  active  service.  He  was 
sent  with  a  party  of  seventy-six  dragoons  on  a  foraging 
expedition.  Receiving  intelligence  of  this  plundering  ma- 
raud. General  Pickens  detached  Colonel  Clarke  and  Major 
McCall  with   a  sufiicient  force   to    attack   him.      On   the 


I' 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


iflii 


twcnty-fnurtli  of  March,  tlicv  came  up  with  him  encanipi'd 
at  ni-atlir's  Mill,  on  LiltU'  river,  some  twenty-two  miles 
from  Ninety  Si.\.  Dispatching  a  party  to  take  possi'ssion 
of  a  bridge  over  which  Dunlap  would  necessarily  pass  on 
his  return,  the  main  body  advanced  and  took  him  by  sur- 
prise. I  le  retired  into  the  mill  and  some  neighboring  out- 
houses, but  which  were  too  open  for  protection  against  rille- 
men.  '•Recollecting,"  as  the  historian,  McCall,  asserts, 
•'  his  t)ulra<fe(Uis  conduct  to  the  families  and  friends  t)f  tiiose 
b\  whom  he  was  attacked,  Dunlap  resisted  for  several  hours, 
until  thirty-four  of  his  men  were  killed  and  wounded — him- 
self among  the  latter — when  a  flag  was  hung  out,  and  they 
surrendered,"  else  all  would  have  been  sooner  or  later 
picked  ofl'  by  Clarke's  and  McCall's  unerring  rillemen. 
In  General  Pickens'  report,  as  published  by  Congress,  the 
number  is  stated  as  thirty-four  of  the  enemy  killed,  and 
forty-two  taken  ;  so  the  wounded  must  have  been  included 
among  the  captives.  The  prisoners  were  sent  to  Watauga 
setdement,  in  East  Tennessee,  for  safe  keeping. 

"The  British  account  of  this  aflair,"  adds  McCall, 
"stated  that  Dunlap  was  murdered  by  the  guard  having 
him  in  charge,  after  his  surn-nder  ;  but  such  was  not  the 
fact — for  he  died  of  his  wounds  the  ensuing  night."  It  is 
evident  from  General  Greene's  general  order  of  the  subse- 
quent sixteenth  of  April,  that  Dunlap  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  nothing  could  have  been  said  in  Pickens'  first  report  of 
the  action  relative  to  the  Major's  death ;  hence  it  could 
hardly  have  occurred  so  soon  afler  his  surrender  as  McCall 
states.  But  McCall  errs  in  supposing  that  Dunlap  was  not 
killed  by  liis  guard,  or  by  some  one  with  their  connivance. 
It  was  covered  up,  as  much  as  possible,  by  those  wlio  per- 
petrated the  act ;  but  General  Pickens,  whose  high  sense  of 
honor  revolted  against  such  turpitude,  even  against  an  offi- 
cer of  Dunlap's  infamous  character,  "ofl'ered  a  hand- 
some rew^ard  for  the  murderers,"  as  General  Greene  sub- 
sequently testifies  in  a  letter  to  the  British  Colonel  Balfour, 


164 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


accompanied  with  a  cop}^  of  Pi.-kens'  order  proclaiming 
the  reward. 

Thus  wretchedly  perished,  at  the  hands  of  his  enemies, 
Major  James  Dunlap.  While  the  manner  of  his  taking  oft' 
is  to  be  regretted,  it  must  be  confessed  that  he  had  little 
reason  to  expect  better  treatment.  He  had  led  a  life  of 
military  savagery,  and  his  "outrageous  conduct"  to  the 
families  of  Clarke's  and  McCall's  men,  was  perfectly  in 
keeping  with  his  previous  acdons,  and  very  naturall}-  pro- 
voked the  retaliation  of  those  whom  he  had  so  grievously 
wronged.* 

His  rank  was  Captain  in  the  Qiieen's  Rangers,  and  ap- 
parently Major  in  the  special  service  to  which  he  was 
assigned  in  Ferguson's  corps.  As  the  commission  of  his 
successor  in  the  Rangers  —  Bennet  Walpole — bore  date 
March  twenty-ninth,  1781,  that  very  likely  fixes  the  time  of 
Dunlap's  death.  His  name  last  appears  in  the  Royal  Arm}' 
List,  published  in  New  York  in  1781,  which  was  probabl}'- 
issued  before  his  death  in  March  had  been  learned.  Had 
he  been  killed  in  the  preceding  October  at  Gilbert  Town, 
his  name  would  doubtless  have  disappeared,  and  that  of  his 
successor  taken  its  place.  It  is  certain  that  Dunlap  belonged 
to  the  Qiieen's  Rangers,  and  there  was  no  other  person  of 
his  name  and  rank  either  in  the  Rangers  or  any  other  Pro- 
vincial corps ;  so  it  is  not  possible  that  there  could  have 
been  two  Major  Dunlaps  killed — one  at  Gilbert  Town,  and 
the  other  at  or  near  Beattie's  Mill. 


*  Marylaiiii Jou  nal.  May  ist  and  8tli.  17S1 ;  Massa^  ''iiselts  S/>y,  June  14th.  1781 ;  Mc- 
Call's  Georgia,  ii.  361:  Goruon's  Am.  Rev.,  iv,  167;  John.^^'.'s  Li/i'  0/  Greene,  ii.  107,  135, 
105;  Gil]lies'  Doe.  History,  1781-8^,  idg;  Greene's  Greene,  iii,  232;  MS.  pension  statements 
of  Alisalom  Tlioinpson  and  Jnel  Darcy, 

Mi-rall  gives  the  dale  of  the  aff.iir  at  Reattic's  Mill  as  March  21st;  Init  Pickens'  report, 
as  puMislied  b"  Congress  says  it  occurred  on  the  24th  of  that  month,  and  his  authority 
would  seem  to  lie  most  rcliahlo. 

Credit  is  due  to  Charles  R.  Hildeluirn.  Esq.,  of  Phihulelphia.  for  the  christian  name  of 
Majoi  Punlap,  with  the  date  of  his  commission  in  tlie  Rangers,  and  that  of  his  successor. 
Mr.  Ilildeburn  has  given  spcial  attention  to  the  leaders  in  the  Loyalist  corps,  and  learned 
the  ficts  in  question  from  the  rare  Royal  Army  Lists,  published  in  New  York  from  1777  to 
1783. 


AiYD  ITS  HEROES. 


lUo 


CHAPTER    IX 


July— October,  1780. 


Gather iii}^  of  tlw  King's  Mountain  Clans.—  Williaiits  failitrc  to  fi^i-t  coni- 
niand  of  Sumter's  i/icn — //is  tricky  treatment  of  Sumter. —  Jurt^u- 
son  sends  a  threat  to  the  over-mountain  men. —  Shelby's  patriotic 
efforts  to  turn  the  scales  on  Ju-ri^uson.—Sci'ier,  McDowell,  Hamp- 
ton, and  Campbell  unite  in  the  Enterprise — C.eveland  invited  to 
join  them. — Sevier's  success  in  proi'idini^-.S'up/ilies  for  the  E.xfediti,  n. 
— Kende::vous  at  the  Sycamore  Shoals. — Preparations  for  the  March. 
— Parson  Doalc  commends  the  men  to  the  protection  of  the  Good 
Father. —  Their  March  over  the  mountains. —  Jo  ned  by  Cleveland 
and  Winston.  —  Campbell  chosen  to  the  Chief  Command.  —  Mc- 
Doivell's  mission  for  a  General  Officer. 

Colonel  Williams,  as  \ve  havu  seen,  a  as  honored  by 
Govemor  Rutledge,  in  September,  with  a  commission  of 
Brigadier-General  in  the  Soutli  Carolina  militia,  in  recog- 
nition of  liis  having  been,  as  the  Govemor  was  led  to 
believe,  the  chief  commander  of  the  Whigs  at  the  battle  of 
Musgrove's  Mill.  Govrri>':;r  Nash,  of  North  Carolina,  had 
given  him  permission  to  recruit,  within  that  Slate,  not  to 
exceed  a  hundred  horsemen.  With  his  commission  in  his 
pocket,  he  at  once  repaired  to  Sumter's  camp,  on  the 
Catawba  Reservation,  east  of  the  river  of  that  name.  lie 
had  It  publicly  read,  and  then  ordered  the  ollicers  ai.d  men 
to  recognize  his  right  to  command  them,  declaring  that 
Sumter  had  no  proper  authority  to  do  so. 

.  Here  a  serious  ditliculty  arose.  At  this  period,  Sumter 
bore  the  title  and  performed  the  office  of  a  General  ;  but 
he  had,  in  fact,  no  commission.  He  had  been  chosen  by 
his  ov.ii  men,  who,  forced  to  leave  their  homes,  had  banded 
together  for  their  mutual  safety,  and  the  better,  as  occasion 
should  offer,  to  strike  an  effective  blow  at  an  insolent  enemy. 


^i   h 


1G6 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Thus  gathered  together,  acting  pretty  much  on  their  own 
voHtion,  rather  than  by  any  special  authorit}',  they  chose 
Sumter  their  leader,  which  the}'  believed  they  had  a  perfect 
right  to  do,  as  South  Carolina,  in  its  then  inchoate  con- 
dition, was  unable  to  grant  t!:em  any  pir>  ,  or  lurnish  them 
supplies  of  any  kind.  Governor  Rutledge,  for  safet}-,  had 
retired  to  North  Carolina, 

]jut  they  had  another  reason  why  they  declined  to  recog- 
"nize  Williams  as  their  commander.  They  cherished  an  old 
grudge  against  him.  While  Sumter  was  organizing  his 
force,  in  the  early  summer,  on  Clem's  Branch  of  Sugar 
creek,  east  of  the  Catawba,  Williams  and  some  of  his 
neighbors  of  the  Little  river  region,  had  retired  to  the 
northward  with  such  of  their  moveable  propert\-  as  they 
could  convey  to  a  place  of  safet}-  till  more  quiet  times — 
].>robably  to  Granville  County,  North  Carolina,  .here  the 
Colonel  had  formerly  lived,  and  where  he  hr.d  family 
relations  still  residing.  On  his  return,  he  repaired  to  Sum- 
ter's camp,  and  frankly  confessed,  as  he  had  brought  no 
men,  he  could  claim  no  command ;  but  he,  nevertheless, 
wished  to  serve  his  countr}'  in  some  position  of  usefulness. 
Colonel  Hill,  who  knew  him,  suggested  that  General  Sum- 
ter needed  an  i^fficient  Commissary  ;  and  upon  mentioning 
the  matter  to  the  General,  he  accordintrlv  commissioned 
Williams  to  serve  in  that  capacity. 

Major  Charles  Mil(\s,  with  twenty-five  men  and  four 
teams  and  wagons,  was  assigned  to  this  service  under 
Colonel  Williams.  So  matters  went  along  smoothly 
enough,  and  satisfactorily  to  all  concerned,  to  all  outward 
appearances,  till  after  the  battle  of  Hanging  Rock,  on  the 
sixth  of  August.  While  Sumter  \\  as  encamped  on  Cane 
creek,  in  Lancaster  District,  one  morning,  about  the 
twelfth  of  that  month,  it  was  discovered  that  Williams  had 
decamped,  without  dropping  a  hint  to  Sumter  on  the  sub- 
ject, taking  with  him  Colonel  Brandon  and  a  small  party 
of  tbllowers,  rnostl}-   of  the    Fair  Forest   region,  together 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


167 


with  a  number  of  public  horses,  and  considerable  provisions 
and  camp  equipage. 

Sumter  and  his  subordinates  were  not  a  little  vexed  at 
this  treatment.  As  the}'  regarded  it,  Williams  had  been 
not  (Hily  ungrateful  for  the  posidon  conferred  upon  him, 
but  had  betrayed  a  public  trust.  Colonel  Lace\'.  one  of 
Sumter's  best  officers,  a  man  of  much  personal  prowess, 
was  dispatched,  with  a  small  guard,  in  pursuit  of  the 
fugitives,  with  a  view  at  least  of  recovering  the  public 
property.  He  overtook  them  encamped  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Catawba,  but  iinding  Williams'  party  too  strong  to 
attempt  coercive  measures,  Lacey  resorted  to  other  means 
to  accomplisli  his  purpose.  Inviting  Williams  to  take  a 
walk  with  hini,  he  suddenh',  when  out  of  reach  of  the 
camp,  presented  a  pistol  at  his  breast,  threatening  him  with 
instant  death  if  he  should  make  the  least  noise,  or  call  for 
assistance.  With  his  pisto!  still  aimed,  Lacey  expostu- 
lated with  him  on  the  baseness  of  his  conduct,  when  Wil- 
liams pledged  his  word  and  honor  that  he  would  take  back 
all  the  public  property,  and  as  many  of  the  men  rs  he  could 
prevail  upon  to  return  .  ith  him.  Not  confiding  in  his  word, 
Lacey  exacted  an  oath  to  the  same  purpose,  widi  which 
Williams  readil}^  complied.  But  once  free  from  restraint, 
he  neithe  •  regarded  the  one  nor  the  ofliv.r,  but  retired  to 
Smitli's  Ford,  on  Broad  river,  where  he  joined  Colonel  Mc- 
Dowell's forces,  and  participated,  immediately  thereafter, 
in  the  successful  expedition  against  the  enemy  at  Mus- 
grove's  Mill.  * 

During  the  summer,  Sumter  had  been  operating  mostly 
east  of  the  Catawba.  Williams'  home  was  considerably  to 
the  southwest  of  that  stream,  and  he  tried  to  justify  himself, 
no  doubt,  by  arguing  that  his  oUn  jiarticular  region  had 
the  strongest  claim  upon  his  attention,  and  a  man  who 
would  not  provide  for  his  own  family  and  people  was  worse 
tlian  an  infidel.    However  this  may  be,  there  can  be  no  good 

*  Tlie  details  of  this  aflfair  are  taken  from  Colonel  \Vm.  Hill's  MS.  narrative. 


,     .  !-i 


168 


A'/iVG'S  MOUNTAIN 


excuse  for  his  conduct.  He  should  have  souirht  a  more 
manly  and  honorable  way  of  eftecting  his  object,  as  Colonel 
Clarke  had  done  before  him. 

Sumter,  his  otticers  and  men,  were  unanimous  in  resol\  - 
ing  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  Williams.  They  regarded 
his  conduct  in  leaving  the  camp  as  he  did  the  preceding 
month,  as  treacherous,  and  unbecoming  an  honorable  offi- 
cer. Williams,  meeting  with  such  a  reception — and  he 
could  hardl}'  have  expected  any  other — was  not  slow  to 
take  his  departure.  A  council  of  the  lield  officers  of  Sum- 
ter's command  was  soon  after  convened,  in  which  it  was 
judged  best  to  make  a  full  representation  to  Governor  Rut- 
ledge  of  the  condition  of  the  brigade,  and  their  reasons  for 
refusing  to  accept  Williams  as  their  commander.  Five 
prominent  officers  were  accordingly  selected  to  wait  upon 
the  Governor,  at  Ilillsboro,  four  of  whom  were  Colonels 
Richard  Winn,  Ilenr^-  Hampton,  John  Thomas,  Jr.,  and 
Charles  S.  Myddelton  ;  Colonel  Thomas  Taylor  was  prob- 
ably the  other.  Meanwhile,  it  was  agreed  that  Sumter 
should  retire  until  a  decision  was  reached  and  the  difficulty 
settled.  Colonels  Lacey  and  Hill  to  command  the  troops 
during  the  interim.* 

W^illiams  seems  to  hdve  received  some  intimation,  while 
in  Sumter's  camp,  that  his  conduct  would  soon  be  properly 
represented  to  Governor  Rutledge ;  and  ha\ing  claimed 
more  with  regai'd  to  his  command  at  Musgrove's  than  the 
facts  would  warrant,  he  probably  deeuied  it  best  not  to  lay 
his  new  grie\-ances  before  the  Governor,  but  repair  at  once 
to  the  field,  and  endeavor,  by  brilliant  service,  to  cause  his 
past  derelictions  to  be  overlooked  and  forgotten. 

It  is  now  necessary  to  give  a  succinct  account  of  the 
circumstances  which  led  the  over-mountain  men  so  soon 
again  to  re-pass  the  Alleghanies,  and  appear  on  their 
eastern  border.  Though  separated  b}-  high  mountains 
and   broad    forests   from   their  brethren  of  the  Carolinas, 

♦Colonel  Hill's  MS.  narrative. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


169 


they  hcartil}'  S3mpathizecl  with  them,  and  were  even 
ready  to  aid  them  in  their  struggles  against  the  common 
enemy.  Shelby,  the  McDowells  and  their  compeers,  it 
will  be  remembered,  while  retiring,  in  August,  before 
Ferguson's  pursuers,  from  the  Musgrove's  Mill  expedi- 
tion, resolved  that  as  soon  as  they  could  have  a  needed 
rest,  and  strengthen  their  numbers,  they  Would  re-cross  the 
mountains,  and  ''beard  the  lion  in  his  den."  The  summer 
heats  and  exposures  had  retarded  their  renewal  of  the 
enterprise  ;  their  crops  had  doubtless  demanded  their  at- 
tention ;  and,  above  all,  the  neighboring  Cherokees  were 
inimical  and  threatening.  And  so  they  tarried,  watching 
on  the  borders. 

But  a  circumstance  transpired  that  tended  to  arouse 
them  from  their  ease  and  sense  of  security.  When  Fer- 
guson took  post  at  Gilbert  Town,  in  the  early  part  of  Sep- 
tember, remembering  how  the  mountain  men  had  annoyed 
him  and  his  detachments  on  the  Pacolet,  at  Thicketty  Fort, 
near  Wollord's  iron  works,  and  at  Musgroxe's,  he  paroled 
Samuel  Philips,  a  distant  relative  of  Colonel  Isaac  Shelby, 
whom  he  had  taken  prisoner — perhaps  one  of  the  wounded 
left  at  Wortord's  or  Musgrove's,  now  recovered — with  a 
verbal  message  to  the  ofilcers  on  the  Western  waters  of 
Watauga,  Nolachuck}-,  and  Ilolston,  that  "if  they  did  not 
desist  from  their  opposition  to  the  British  arms,  he  would 
march  his  army  over  the  mountains,  hang  their  leaders, 
and  lay  their  country  waste  widi  fire  and  sword."* 

This  threat  accomplished  more  than  Ferguson  bargained 
for.  Philips,  i-esiding  near  Shelby's,  went  directly  to  him 
v;ith  the  message,  giving  him,  in  addition,  such  intelligence 
as  he  could  impart  concerning  the  strength,  locality,  and 
intentions  of  the  enemy.  Of  the  Loyalists  composing  the 
major  part  of  Ferguson's  command,  some  had  previously 


'•)•  I'f 


rA'\ 


'■'Sliel!>y's  Kinij's  Mountain  Narrative,  1823;  Haywood's  Hist.  Teni.cssee.  67;  Shelby's 
statement,  in  the  American  Whig  RiVie:v,  Dec,  1846,  580;  General  Joseph  Graham's 
account,  in  the  Southern  Literary  Mcsicnger,  September,  1845. 


t 


170 


KING'S  MOTTNTAIN 


|i  n 


been  on  the  Western  waters,  and  were  familiar  with  the 
Watauga  settlements,  and  the  mountain  passes  b}-  which 
they  were  reached.  One  of  them  had  been  subjected,  the 
past  summer,  to  the  inc  ^nity  of  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers, 
by  the  light-horsemen  of  Captain  Robert  Sevier,  on 
Nolachucky ;  and,  in  resentment,  proposed  to  act  as 
pilot  to  Ferguson.* 

In  a  few  da}s,  Shelby  went  some  forty  miles  to  a  horse- 
race, near  the  present  village  of  Jonesboro,  to  see  Colonel 
Sevier,  the  efficient  commander  of  the  militia  of  Washiuif- 
ton  County,  embracing  the  Watauga  and  Nolachucky  settle- 
ments, to  inform  him  of  Ferguson's  threatening  message, 
and  concert  measures  for  their  mutual  action.  The  result 
was  that  these  brave  leaders  resolved  to  carry  into  eflect  the 
plan  Shelby  and  associates  had  formed  the  previous  month, 
when  east  of  the  mountains — lO  raise  all  the  men  thev 
could,  and  attempt,  with  proper  assistance,  to  surprise 
Ferguson  by  attacking  him  in  his  camp ;  or,  at  any  rate, 
before  he  should  be  prepared  to  meet  them.  If  this  was 
not  practicable,  they  would  unite  with  an}'  corps  of  patriots 
they  might  meet,  and  wage  war  against  the  enemies  of 
their  country ;  and  should  the}'  fail,  and  the  country 
eventual!}'  be  over-run  and  subdued  by  die  British,  tliey 
could  take  water,  float  down  the  Ilolston,  Tennessee,  Ohio, 
and  Mississippi,  and  find  a  home  among  the  Spaniards  in 
Louisiana.  It  was  known  to  them,  that  Colonel  Charles 
McDowell  and  Colonel  iVndrew  Hampton  with  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  men,  had  retired  before  Ferguson's  forces 
from  Cane  creek  and  Ilpper  Catiiwba,  arriving  at  Colonel 
John  .  .trter's  on  the  eighteenth  of  September,  and 
were  now  refugees  mostly  encamped  on  the  Watauga. f 
Some  of  McDowellV,  officers  were  seen  and  consulted  by 
Shelby  and  Sevier  before  lliC}'  parted.  Colonel  Sevier 
engaged  to  see  others  of  them,  and  bring  them  all  into  the 

*  Ramsey's   Tennessee.  223, 

■|-MS.  letter  Colonel  Joseph  Martin,  Long  Island  of  Holston,  Sept.  22,  1780. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


171 


measure  ;  while  Shelby,  on  his  part,  undertook  to  procure 
the  aid  and  co-operation  of  Colonel  William  Campbell, 
of  the  neighboring  County  of  Washington,  in  Virginia,  with 
a  Ibrce  from  that  region,  if  practicable.  A  time  and  place 
for  the  general  rendezvous  were  appointed — the  twenty- 
liflh  of  September,  at  the  Sycamore  Flats  or  Shoals,  on 
the  Watauga. 

Colonel  Shelby  had  necessarily  much  to  do  in  getting 
his  own  regiment  of  Sullivan  County  men  in  readiness 
for  the  expedition.  He  wrote  to  Colonel  Campbell,  who 
resided  lorty  miles  distant,  explaining  tiie  nature  of  the 
prop  )sed  service,  and  urging  him  to  join  in  it  with  all  the 
men  !ie  could  raise  for  that  purpose.  The  letter  wa'-.  sent 
by  the  Colonel's  brother,  Captain  Moses  Shelby.  It  was 
the  plan  of  Lord  Cornwallis  to  lead  his  army  from  Char- 
lotte to  Salisbury,  there  to  form  a  junction  with  Ferguson's 
corps  ;  and,  preliminary  to  the  further  invasion  of  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia,  to  incite  the  Southern  Indians  not 
only  to  invade  the  Ilolston  and  Watauga  settlements,  but 
proceed,  if  possible,  as  liigh  up  in  South-West  Virginia  as 
Chiswell's  Lead  INIiues,  and  destroy  the  works  and  stores 
at  that  place,  where  large  quantities  of  lead  were  pro- 
duced for  the  supply  of  the  American  armies.  And  as  the 
destruction  of  the  Mines  and  their  product  was  a  capital 
object  with  the  British,  the  Tories  high  up  New  river,  and 
in  the  region  of  the  Lead  Mines,  had  also  been  encouraged 
to  make  an  attempt  in  that  direction.  Colonel  Campbell 
had  been  diligently  engaged,  for  several  weeks,  with  a 
part  of  his  regiment,  in  suppressing  this  Tor}-  insurrection, 
and  had  just  returned  from  that  service  when  Colonel 
Shelby's  letter  arrived. 

Campbell  replied,  that  he  had  determined  to  raise  what 
men  he  could,  and  march  down  by  the  F'.our  Gap,  on  the 
southern  borders  of  Virginia,  to  be  in  readiness  to  oppose 
Lord  Cornwallis  when  he  should  advance  from  Charlotte, 
and   approach  that  State ;    that  he  still  thought  this   the 


[ 


172 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


ii 


better  policy,  and  declined  uniting  with  Sevier  and 
Shelby  on  the  proposed  expedition.  Colonel  Shelby 
promptly  notilied  Colonel  Sevier  of  Canipbell's  determin- 
ation, and  at  the  same  time  issued  an  order  for  all  the 
militia  of  Sullivan  County  to  hold  themselves  in  readi- 
ness to  march  at  the  time  appointed.  As  the  Cherokee 
towns  were  not  to  exceed  eighty  to  one  hundred  miles  from 
the  frontiers  of  Sullivan,  and  much  less  from  the  Watauga 
settlements  ;  and  as  it  was  known  that  the  Cherokccs  were 
preparing  to  make  a  formidable  attack  on  the  bordei*  people, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  Colonel  Shelby  fell  an 
unwillingness  to  draw  off,  for  a  distant  service,  all  the  dis- 
posable force  of  the  counties  of  Sullivan  and  Washington 
at  so  critical  a  period,  and  leave  hundreds  of  helpless 
families  exposed  to  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-kiiife. 

lie,  therefore,  immediately  wrote  a  second  letter  to 
Colonel  Campbell  by  the  same  messenger,  urging  his 
views  more  fully,  and  stating  that  without  his  aid,  he 
and  Sevier  could  not  leave  sufficient  force  to  protect  their 
frontiers,  and  at  the  same  time  lead  forth  a  party  strong 
enough  to  cope  with  Ferguson.  About  the  same  time 
he  wrote  also  lo  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell,  the  cousin  and 
brother-in-law  of  Colonel  William  Campbell,  and  who  was 
the  County  Lieutenant  or  superior  military  officer  of  the 
County,  informing  him  of  Ferguson's  progress  and  threats, 
lUd  telling  the  touching  story  of  McDowell's  party,  driven 
from  their  homes  and  families  ;  and  appealing  to  the  County 
Lieutenant,  whether  it  would  not  be  possible  to  make  an 
effort  to  escort  and  protect  the  exiles  on  their  retiun  to  their 
homes  and  kindred,  and  drive  Ferguson  from  the  country. 
Colonel  Arthur  Campbell  had  just  returned  from  Rich- 
mond, where  he  had  an  interview  with  Governor  JelVerson. 
and  learned  that  vigorous  efforts  were  being  made  to  re- 
trieve the  late  misfortunes  near  Camden,  and  repel  the 
advances  of  the  enemy  now  flushed  with  victory. 

Both  Colonels  Arthur  and  W^illiam  Campbell,  on  full 


^ 


■'■  i 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


173 


reflection,  rogardod  the  proposed  expedition  with  favor,  and 
sent  back  word  tluit  they  would  co-operate  with  Colonels 
Shelby  and  Sevier  to  aid  their  friends  to  return  to  their 
homes  beyond  the  mountains,  and  punish  their  Tory  oppress- 
ors ;  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell  informing  Shelby,  through 
the  messenger,  Mr.  Adair,  of  the  Governor's  sentiment, 
and  the  etlbrts  that  would  soon  be  made  by  Congress  to 
check  the  progress  of  the  enemy.  "The  tale  of  iMcDowell's 
men,"  says  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell,  "was  a  doleful  one, 
and  tended  to  excite  the  resentment  of  the  people,  who  of 
late  had  become  inured  to  danger  by  lighting  the  Indians, 
and  who  had  an  utter  detestation  of  the  tyranny  of  the  Brit- 
ish Government."* 

At  a  consultation  of  the  field  odicers  of  Washington 
County,  it  wiis  agreed  to  call  out  one-half  of  the  militia, 
under  Colonel  William  Campbell,  for  this  over-mountain 
service.  That  day,  the  twenty-second  of  September,  the 
order  was  made  for  the  men,  who  seemed  animated  with  a 
spirit  of  patriotism,  and  speedily  prepared  lor  the  expedi- 
tion. An  express  was,  at  the  same  time,  sent  to  Cohjnel 
Cleveland,  of  Wilkes  County,  North  Carolina,  to  apprise 
him  of  the  designs  and  movements  of  the  men  on  the 
Western  waters,  and  request  him  to  meet  them,  with  all  the 
troops  he  could  raise,  at  an  appointed  place  on  the  east  side 
of  the  mountains.  The  express  di)ubtless  took  the  shortest 
route,  crossing  ICcw  river  not  far  from  the  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  line,  and  thence  to  Wilkes  Countv  ;  and 
probably  the  thirtieth  of  September,  and  die  (^laker 
Meadows,  were  the  time  and  place  of  meeting.  Colonel 
Campbell  went  to  the  place  of  rendezvous  b\'  way  of 
Colonel  Shelby's,  while  his  men,  who  had  assembled  at  the 
first  creek  below  Abingdon,  marched  down  a  nearer  way 
— by  the  Watauga  road. 

The  whole  country  was  animated  by  the  same  glowing 
spirit,  to  do  something  to  put  down  Ferguson  and  his  Tory 
gang,  who  threatened  their  leaders  with  the   halter,  and 

*MS.  statement  of  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell. 


tu 


174 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


j 


li 


IINI 


their  homes  vvilli  the  torch.  "  Here,"  exclaimed  \.\w  youiii^ 
second  wife  of  Colonel  vSevier,  pointing  to  a  youth  of  nearly 
sixteen,  "Here,  Mr.  Sevier,  is  another  of  your  boys  who 
wants  to  go  with  his  father  and  brother  Joseph  to  the  war ; 
but  we  have  no  horse  for  him,  and,  poor  fellow,  it  is  too 
great  a  distance  for  him  to  walk."  Horses,  indeed,  were 
scarce,  the  Indians  having  stolen  many  of  them  from  the 
settlers,' but  young  James  Sevier,  with  or  without  a  horse, 
went  on  the  expedition. 

Colonel  Sevier  endeavored  to  borrow  money  on  his 
private  responsibility,  to  lit  out  his  men  for  this  distant 
service — for  there  were  a  few  traders  in  the  country  who 
had  small  supplies  of  goods.  What  litUe  money  the  people 
had  saved,  had  been  expended  to  the  last  dollar  to  the 
Entry  Taker  of  Sullivan  County,  John  Adair,  the  State 
oflicer,  for  the  sate  of  the  North  Carolina  lands — Uie  same 
person,  doubtless,  whom  Colonel  Shelby  had  sent  as  his 
express  to  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell.  Sevier  waited  upon 
him,  and  suggested  that  the  public  money  in  his  possession 
be  advanced  to  meet  the  military  exigencies  at  this  critical 
juncture.  His  reply  was  worthy  of  t'le  man  and  the  times: 
"Colonel  Sevier,"  said' he,  "  1  have  no  authority  by  law  to 
make  that  disposition  of  this  mone}' ;  it  belongs  to  the 
impoverished  treasury  of  North  Carolina,  and  I  dare  not 
appropriate^  a  cent  of  it  to  any  purpose  ;  but,  if  the  country  is 
over-run  by  the  British,  our  liberty  is  gone.  Let  the  money 
go,  too.  Take  it.  If  the  enemy,  by  its  use,  is  driven  from 
the  country,  I  can  trust  that  country  to  justify  and  vindicate 
mv  conduct — so  take  it."*  Thus  between  twel\-e  and  thirteen 
thousand  dollars  were  obtained,  ammunition  and  necessary 
equipments  secured.  Colonels  Sevier  and  Shelby  pledging 
themselves  to  see  the  loan  refunded  or  legalized  by  an  act 
of  the  Legislature,  which  they  elTected  at  the  earliest  prac- 
ticable moment. t 

♦This  sturdy  patriot  subsetiucntly  Rettled  in  Knfx  County,  Tennessee,  where  he  died 
in  April.  1S27.  at  the  ajic  «(  ninety-five  years. 
fRamsey's  Tennessee,  226. 


11;       '' 


AtM 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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AND  ITS  HEROES. 


175 


' 


On  Monday,  the  twenty-fifth  of  September,  at  the  pUice 
of  rendezvous,  at  the  Sycamore  Fhits  or  Shoals,  at  the  foot 
of  the  Yellow  Mountain,  on  the  Watauga,  about  three  miles 
below  tlie  present  village  of  Elizabethtown,  Colonel  Camp- 
bell's two  hundred  men  assembled,  together  with  Colonel 
Shelby's  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sevier's  regiments  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  men  each.  There  McDowell's  party  had 
been  for  some  time  in  camp  ;  but  Colonel  McDowell  him- 
self, as  soon  as  the  expedition  had  been  resolved  on,  hurried 
with  die  glad  news  over  the  mountains,  to  encourage  the 
people,  obtain  intelligence  of  Ferguson's  movements,  and 
hasten  the  march  of  Colonel  Cleveland  and  the  gallant  men 
of  Wilkes  and  Surr}'.  While  yet  in  camp,  all  hearts  were 
gladilened  by  the  unexpected  arrival  of  Colonel  Arthur 
Campbell,  with  two  hundred  more  men  from  his  County, 
fearinix  the  assembled  force  mii-ht  not  be  sullicient  for  the 
important  service  they  had  undertaken  ;  and  uniting  these 
new  recruits  with  the  others,  this  patriotic  officer  imniedi- 
atel}-  returned  home  to  anxiously  watch  the  frontiers  of 
Holslon,  now  so  largely  stripped  of  their  natural  defenders.* 

Mostly  armed  with  the  Deckardf  riffe,  in  the  use  of 
wliicli  they  were  expert  alike  against  Indians  and  beasts  of 
the  forest,  they  regarded  themselves  the  equals  of  Ferguson 
and  his  practiced  riflemen  and  musketeers.  They  were 
little  encumbered  with  baggage  —  each  with  a  blanket,  a 
cup  Iw  his  side,  with  which  to  quench  his  thirst  from  the 
mountain  streams,  and  a  wallet  of  provisions,  the  latter 
principally  of  parched  corn  meal,  mixed,  as  it  generally 
was,  with  maple  sugar,  making  a  very  agreeable  repast, 
and  withal  full  of  nourishment.  An  occasional  skillet  was 
taken  along  for  a  mess,  in  which  to  warm  up  in  water  their 
parched  meal,  and  cook  such  wild  or  other  meat  as  fortune 


'■''MS.  statement  of  the  Kinf'  ^[ollnt;lill  Kvpedition.  by  one  of  Camphcll's  men— the 
writer  nut  known  — sent  nie  l)y  the  hue  (Invern'ir  Daviil  Ciinpln-ll.  of  Aliin.i;(lon.  Virginia. 

■j- A  rentnry  .tgo  the  Deckarii  or  Dickert  rifle  was  larjjely  manufactured  at  I.ancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  by  a  person  of  that  name.  It  was,  for  that  period,  a  gun  of  rcm.irkalile  pre- 
cisimi  for  a  long  shot,  spiral  grooved,  with  a  barrel  .some  thirty  inches  long,  and  with  its 
stock  some  three  and  a  half  or  four  feet,  carrying  bullets  varying  from  thirty  to  seventy 
to  the  pound  of  lead.    The  owner  of  a  Deckard  rifle  at  that  day  rejoiced  in  its  possession. 


ill' 


■     V'  : 


« 


176 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


should  throw  in  their  wuv.  The  horses,  of  course,  had  to 
pick  tlieir  Hving,  and  were  hoppled  out,  of  nights,  to  kee»> 
them  from  straying  away.  A  few  bee\es  were  driven  along 
the  rear  f  )r  subsistence,  but  impeding  the  rapidity  of  the 
march,  the}-  were  abandoned  after  the  first  day's  journey. 

Early  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  September,  the  little  army 
was  ready  to  take  up  its  line  of  march  over  mountains  and 
through  forests,  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Doak,  the  pioneer 
clergyman  of  the  Watauga  settlements,  being  present,  in- 
voked, betbre  their  departiux',  the  Divine  protection  and 
guidance,  accompanied  with  a  few  stirring  remarks  befitting 
the  occasion,  closing  with  the  Bible  quotation,  "The  sword 
of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  ;"  when  the  sturdy,  Scotch- 
Irish  Presbyterians  ai'ound  him,  clodied  in  their  tidy  hunting- 
shirts,  and  leaning  upon  their  rilles  in  an  attitude  of  respect- 
ful attention,  shouted  in  patriotic  acclaim:  "The  sword 
of  the  Lord  and  of  our  Gideons  !  "  * 

Then  mounting  their  horses,  for  the  most  of  them  were 
prfivided  with  hardy  animals,  they  commenced  their  long 
and  diflicult  march.  They  would  appear  to  have  had  some 
trouble  in  getting  their  beeves  started,  and  probabh^  tarried 
for  Uieir  mid-day  lunch,  at  Matthew  Talbot's  Mill,  now 
kn(!wn  as  Clark's  Mill,  on  Gap  creek,  only  three  miles 
from  the  Sycamore  Shoals.  Thence  up  Gap  creek  to  its 
head,  when  they  bore  somewhat  to  the  left,  crossing  Little 
Doe  river,  reaching  the  noted  "Resting  Place,"  at  the 
Shelving  Rock,  about  a  mile  beyond  the  Crab  Orchard, 
where,  after  a  march  of  some  twenty  miles  that  day,  they 
took  up  their  camp  for  the  night.  Big  Doe  river,  a  bold 
and  limjMd  mountain  stream,  flowing  hard  b}-,  aflbrded  the 
campers,  their  horses  and  beef  cattle,  abundance  of  pure 
and  refreshing  water. f  Here,  a  man  of  the  name  Miller 
resided,  who  shod  several  of  the  horses  of  the  part}-. 

<"■  This,'"  writes  the  venerable  historian,  Dr.  J.  (j.  M.  Ramsey,  "is  the  tradition  of 
the  country,  and  I  fully  believe  it."— MS.  Icttir.  June  ii.st,  iS8o 

vlt  is  not  altogether  certain  that  the  over-moiint.iin  men  campecl  here  the  first  night ; 
but  such  is  the  tradition,  and  such  the  probabilities.  If  they  did  not,  then  they  went  on 
beyond  the  mountain  summit,  accomplishing  some  twenty-eight  miles,  which,  with  the 
trouble  of  driving  cattli.,  would  seem  quite  impml  able.      It  is  only  by  concluding  that 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


177 


The  next  morning,  Wednesda}-,  the  twenty-seventh, 
probably  weary  of  driving  the  cattle,  some  ot"  which  had 
stampeded,  they  killed  such  as  were  necessary  lor  a  tempo- 
rary supply  ot"  meat,  thus  considerably  delaying  the  march 
that  day.  Relieved  of  this  encumbrance,  they  pressed  for- 
ward some  four  miles,  when  they  reached  the  base  of 
the  Yellow  and  Roan  Mountains.  "The  next  day" 
—  evidently  after  leaving  the  Sycamore  Shoals, — says 
Ensign  Robert  Campbell's  diary,  "we  ascended  the  moun- 
tain ;"  which  they  did,  following  tile  well-known  Bright" s 
Trace,  throogh  a  gap  between  the  Yellow  Mountain  on  the 
north,  and  Roan  Mountain  on  the  south.  The  ascent  was 
not  very  didicult  along  a  common  foot-path.  As  the}' 
receded  from  the  lovely  and  verdant  Crab  Orchard  valley, 
"  they  found,"  sa\'s  Campbell's  diary,  "the  sides  and  top 
of  the  mountain  covered  with  snow,  shoe-mouth  deep  ;  and 
on  the  summit,"  adds  the  same  diarist,  "there  were  about 
a  hundred  acres  of  beautii'ul  table-land,  in  which  a  spring 
issued,  ran  through  it,  and  over  into  the  Watauga."  Here 
the  volunteers  paraded,  under  their  respective  commanders, 
and  were  ordered  to  discharge  their  rifles  ;  and  such  was 
the  rarity  of  the  atmosphere,  that  there  was  little  or  no 
report.*  This  body  of  table-land  on  die  summit  of  the 
mountain  has  long  been  known  as  "  The  Bald  Place, ^^  or, 
"  The  Bald  of  the  I'elhnvr 

An  incident  transpired  while  the  troops  were  at  "the 
Bald"  that  exerted  no  small  influence  on  the  campaign. 
Two  of  Sevier's  men,  James  Crawford  and  Samuel  Cham- 
bers, here  deserted  ;  and  when  they  were  missed,  and  their 
object  suspected — that  of  apprising  F  rgus  i?  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  mountain   men — instead   of  bearing   to   the 

they  camped  nt  (he  celebrated  "Resting  Place,"  nn  the  ihrIu  nf  the  twenty-sixth,  th.it 
wo  can  reconcile  Camphell's  diary  and  the  traditions  of  "'.le  oldest  and  best  informed 
people  alcin;;  the  route,  as  to  the  other  campint;  places  ti'.l  they  reached  the  Catawba,  on 
the  nij,'ht  f  the  thirtieth,  as  stated  by  Campbell.  Shelby,  and  Cleveland,  in  the  ofTiciaJ 
report  of  the  expedition,  and  by  Shelby  in  hi-;  sev'eral  narratives. 

*MS.  letter  of  Dr.  J.  C.    M.  Ramsey,  Inly  13,  i83o.     "This  fact,"  adds  the  Doctor, 
"was  related  to  me  by  several  of  the  old  King's  Mountain  soldiers," 
12 


' 


•:l  1 


178 


KING '  5  MO  UNTAIN 


right,  as  they  had  designed,  the  troops  took  the  left  hand, 
or  more  nordierly  route,  hoping  thereby  to  confuse  the 
enemy  should  they  send  spies  on  the  southern  trail,  and 
make  no  discoveries.* 

After  the  parade  and  refreshments,!  the  day  was  well-nigh 
spent,  and  the  mountaineers  passed  on  a  couple  of  miles  de- 
scending the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountains  into  Elk  Hollow 
— a  slight  depression  between  the  Yellow  and  Roan  moun- 
tains, rather  than  a  gap  ;  and  here,  at  a  fine  spring  flowing 
into  Roaring  creek,  the}-  took  up  their  camp  for  the  night. + 

Descending  Roaring  creek,  on  the  twenty-eighth,  four 
miles,  they  reached  its  confluence  with  the  North  Toe 
river,  and  a  mile  below  they  passed  Bright's  place,  now 
Avery's  ;  and  thence  down  the  Toe  to  the  noted  spring 
on  the  Davenport  place,  since  Tate's,  and  now  known  as 
Child's  place,  a  little  distance  west  of  the  stream,  where 
they  probably  rested  at  noonday.  Some  thirty  years  ago 
an  old  sword  was  found  near  this  spring,  supposed  to  have 
been  lost  by  some  of  the  mountaineers. §  As  they  de- 
scended from  the  moimtains,  they  reached  a  country 
covered  with  verdure,  where  the}'^  enjoyed  an  atmosphere 
of  almost  summer  mildness.  The\"  followed  the  ravines 
along  the  streams  the  most  of  the  way,  but  over  a  very 
rough,  ston}-  route — exceedingh'  difficult,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  dangerous,  for  horses  to  pursue. 

The  mountain  scenerv  alonu  their  route  is  scarcelv  ex- 
ceeded  for  wildness  and  romantic  grandeur,  in  any  other 
part  of  the  countrv — several  of  the  towering  peaks,  among 
the  loftiest  in  the  United  States,  exceeding  six  thousand 


♦Haywood's  Tennessee,  on  aiitliority  of  Colonel  Sl-.ell)y,  says  this  desertion  occurred 
on  "the  top"  of  the  mountain  ;  and  Itohert  Campbell,  in  his  King's  Mountain  Narratives, 
states  that  the  deserters  "left  the  army  on  the  Yellow  mountain;"  and  Dr.  Ramsey 
practically  confirms  these  statements  by  assertini;  that  it  transpired  on  the  sccnnd  day. 

t  Captain  Christopher  Taylor,  of  Sevier's  regiment,  states,  in  his  [icnsion  deposition, 
that  in  a  conference  of  the  officers,  held  on  Yellow  Mountain.  Colonel  Campbell  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  chief  command.  No  other  acco\int  confirms  this  st.itement.  and  Captain 
Taylor  must  ha\c  had  in  mind  the  subsequent  action  to  that  effect. 

t  Campbell's  diary;  MS.  correspondence  of  the  late  ci-Governor  David  Campbell, 
and  of  Hon.  \Vm.  H.  Carter. 

I  MS.  letter  of  W.  A.  McC.all.  Aug.  15,  1880. 


> 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


179 


five  hundred  feet  in  height.  The  bright,  rushing  waters 
lumbhng  over  tlieir  rocky  beds,  and  the  lofty  bhie  moun- 
tains in  the  distance,  present  a  weird,  dreamy,  bewilderirig 
appearance.  "  Here,"  says  a  graphic  writer  on  the  mountain 
region  of  Nortli  CaroHna,  "if  we  were  to  meet  an  army 
with  music  and  banners,  we  would  hardly  notice  it;  man, 
and  all  his  works,  and  all  his  devices,  are  sinking  into 
insignificance.  We  feel  that  we  are  approaching  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  Almighty  Architect.  We  feel  in  all 
things  about  us  the  presence  of  the  great  Creator.  A  sense 
of  awe  and  reverence  comes  over  us,  and  we  expect  to  lind 
in  this  stupendous  temple  we  are  approaching,  none  but 
men  of  pure  hearts  and  benignant  minds.  But,  by  degrees, 
as  we  clamber  up  the  winding  hill,  the  sensation  of  awe 
gives  way — new  scenes  of  beauty  and  grandeur  open  upon 
our  ravished  vision  —  and  a  midtitude  of  emotions  swell 
within  our  hearts.  We  are  dazzled,  bewildered,  and  ex- 
cited, we  know  not  how,  nor  w^hy ;  our  souls  expand  and 
swim  through  the  immensit}^  before  and  around  us,  and  our 
being  seems  merged  in  the  infinite  and  glorious  works  of 
God.  This  is  the  country  of  the  fairies  ;  and  here  they 
have  their  shaded  dells,  their  mock  mountains,  and  their 
green  valleys,  thrown  into  ten  thousand  shapes  of  beaut}-. 
But  higher  up  are  the  Titan  hills  ;  and  when  we  get  among 
them,  we  will  find  the  diflercnce  between  the  abodes  of  the 
sjiants    and   their   elfin   neiirhbors." 

After  a  hard  day's  march  fen-  man  and  beast,  they  at 
length  reached  Cathey's,  or  Cathoo's,  plantation  —  since 
Cathey's  mill,  at  the  mouth  of  Grassy  creek,  a  small 
eastern  tributary  of  North  Toe  river ;  and  here  they  rested 
for  the  night. t  Some  twenty  miles  were  accomplished  this 
day.     Their  parched  corn  meal,   and,  peradventure.  some 

*  C.  H.  Wiley's  Xorth  Carolina  Render,  68,  77. 

vCampliell's  diary.  The  MS.  correspondence  of  Thomas  D.  Vance.  W.  A.  McCall, 
Hon.  Wm  R.  Carter,  \V  H,  Allis,  O.  W.  Crawford.  Dr.  J.  C.  Newland,  Hon.  J.  C.  Har- 
per, Colonel  Samuel  McPowcll  Tate.  Hon.  C.  A.  Cilley,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Chamhers,  Dr.  J. 
Cf.  M.  Ramsey,  and  M.ajor  T.  S.  Webb,  lias  been  of  essential  importance  in  helping  to  de- 
termine and  describe  the  route  and  its  localities  of  the  King's  Mountain  men. 


% 


180 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


remaining  beef  rations,  formed  a  refreshing  repast,  with 
appetites  sharpened  by  the  rough  exercise  of  so  tedious 
a  jaunt  ov'.ir  hills  and  dales,  and  rocks,  and  mountain 
streams. 

On  Friday,  the  t\vent\- ninth,  the  patriot  army  pursued 
its  \vindin<>"  wav  up  the  valley  of  Grassv  creek  to  its 
head,  some  eight  or  nine  miles,  when  they  passed  through 
Gillespie's  Gap  in  the  Blue  Ridge ;  emerging  from  which 
they  joyfully  beheld,  here  and  there,  in  the  distance,  in 
the  mountain  coves  and  rich  valleys  of  the  heads  of  the 
Upper  Catawba,  the  advanced  settlements  of  the  adven- 
turous pioneers.  Mere  the  troops  divided — Campbell's  men, 
at  least,  going  six  or  seven  miles  south  to  Henry  Gillespie's, 
and  a  little  below  to  Colonel  William  Woflbrd's  Fort,  both 
in  Turke}'  Cove ;  while  the  others  pursued  the  old  trace  in 
an  easterly  direction,  about  the  same  distance,  to  the  North 
Cove,  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Catawba,  where  they 
camped  ft>r  the  night  in  the  woods,  on  the  bank  of  that 
stream,  just  above  the  mouth  of  Hunnycut's  creek.  On  a 
large  beech  tree,  at  this  camp,  several  of  the  oflicers  cut 
their  names,*  among  them  Colonel  Charles  McDowell  ; 
who  had,  by  arrangement,  st^veral  days  preceded  tlie  troops 
from  the  camp  of  the  Burke  and  Rutherford  fugitives  on  the 
Watauga. 

At  this  point  Colonel  McDowell  rejoined  his  over- 
mountain  friends,  imparting  to  them  such  vague  and  un- 
certain intelligence  as  he  had  been  able  to  learn  of  Fergu- 
son and  his  movements.  Cohmel  McDowell  had  repaired 
to  his  Qiiaker  Meadow  home,  and  exerted  himself,  by 
sending  messengers  in  every  direction,  to  rouse  the  people  ; 
he  had  despatched  James  Blair,  as  an  express,  to  hasten 
forward  Colonel  Cleveland  with  die  men  of  Wilkes  and 
Surrv.  Blair  reached  Fort  Detiance,  a  distance  of  some 
thirty  miles,  where  he  probably  met  Cleveland  and  his  men 

*This  venerRble  tree,  :il)Out  1835,  was  accidentally  charred  l)y  burning  logs,  in  clear- 
ing land,  cansing  it  to  die.  W.  A.  McCall.  who  still  resides  there,  saw  the  tree  and  read 
the  names  many  times. 


Ilr'^ii 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


181 


advancing  ;  but  he  did  not  accomplish  Ids  ndssion  without 
inipeiiiHn<^  his  life,  for  he  was  wounded  by  a  stealthy  Tor}' 
by  the  wa}-.* 

Colonel  Campbell's  party  visited  the  Turkey  Cove  settle- 
ment, though  some  miles  out  of  the  way,  with  a  view  to 
ifainiuL^  inlelliiience.  llenrv  Gillespie,  near  whose  cabin 
some  of  the  troops  camped,  a  hardy  Irishman,  who  had 
perhaps  been  a  dozen  years  in  the  country,  and  from 
whom  the  neighboring  Gap  took  its  name,  w\^s  acting  a 
neutral  part  in  i  e  war — probabh',  i»  mti  his  exposed  situa- 
tion, as  his  only  recourse  to  save  himself  and  family  from 
destruction  by  the  Indians,  instigated,  as  the}'  were,  by 
British  emissaries  stationed  among  them.  Gillespie  was 
kept  at  camp  during  the  night ;  but  he  really  had  no  secrets 
to  reveal  and  was  set  at  liberty  the  following  morning. f 

Ensign  Campbell's  diary  states:  "The  fourth  night,  the 
twent\-ninth,  \\e  rested  at  a  rich  Tory's,  where  we  obtained 
an  abundance  of  ever}'  necessary  refreshment."  This  evi- 
dently refers  to  Colonel  WotTord,  for  he  was  wealthy,  and 
well-to-do  for  that  da}' :  while  his  near  neighbor,  Gillespie, 
was  poor,  and  his  little  cabin  and  small  surrounding  im- 
provements, were  suflicient  evidence  of  it.  But  this  is  a 
cruel  and  unjust  imputation  upon  the  memory  of  so  worthy 
a  man  as  William  Wollbrd.  Descended  from  ancestry  trom 
llie  north  of  England,  lie  was  born  near  Rock  creek,  in 
then  Prince  George,  now  Montgomery  County,  Maryland, 
about  twi^lve  miles  above  Washington  City,  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  October,  1728.  (  his  early  life,  we  have  no 
knowledge;  but  he  most  likely  served  among  the  Mary- 
land troops  in  the  French  and  Indian  war  raging  on  the 
frontiers  of  that  and  the  neighboring  Colonies  in  his 
yoimger  days. 

Colonel  Woilbrd  was   a  man  of  enterprise,   earl}-  mi- 


*Iilair's  MS.  pension  statement. 

■f  Henry  Gillespie  died  at  tlie  Turkey  Cove,  ahout  1812,  at  the  age  of  well-nigh  eighty 
years,  leaving  two  sons,  David  and  William. 


182 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


grating  to  the  upper  country  of  South  CaroHna,  where,  on 
Pacolet  river,  he  erected  noted  iron  works.  lie  was  one 
of  the  leading  patriots  ot  that  region,  and  served  as  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel on  Williamson's  Cherokee  campaign  of 
1776.*  Early  in  1779,  he  was  in  service  in  pursuit  of  the 
fugiti\e  Tory  party  under  Colonel  John  Moore,  when  flee- 
ing from  North  Carolina  to  Georgia  ;  and,  in  the  spring 
and  summer  of  that  year,  he  served  in  Georgia  and  South 
Carolina,  under  General  Lincoln,!  and  doubtless  shared  in 
the  battle  of  Stono. 

It  was  probabh-  on  the  fall  of  Charleston,  when  his 
ironworks  were  destroyed,  that  he,  to  avoid  thu  I>riti.''i 
and  Tories  who  were  over-running  South  Carolina,  retired 
to  the  Upper  Catawba,  purchasing  a  Hue  tract  of  nine 
hundred  acres,  with  improvements,  of  one  Armstrong,  an 
enterprising  pioneer  in  the  Turkey  Cove.  At  his  new 
home,  he  erected  a  fort  for  his  own  and  neighbors'  pro- 
tection against  the  Indians,  and  built  a  snudl  grist-mill.  It 
is  barely  possible  that  Colonel  Wollbrd  may  have  been 
prevailed  upon  by  the  frontier  settlers  of  Burke  count}',  to 
imite  with  Captain  John  Carson  and  others,  to  take  pro- 
tection from  Colonel  Ferguson  when  he  invaded  the 
Ujiper  Catawba  valley,  mereh-  as  a  temporary  rnsc  to  pre- 
serve their  stock  and  other  property  from  those  rapacious 
plunderers.  But  of  this,  there  is  no  evidence,  save  the 
vague  allusion  of  Ensign  Campbell.  At  all  events.  Colonel 
WoHbrd  was  no  Tory,  and  never  lifted  a  linger  against  his 
countr}'.  It  is  quite  evident,  that  Colonel  Campbell  gained 
no  important  intelligence  from  either  Colonel  Woflbrd  or 
Henry  Gillespie,  simply  because  the}-  were  not  the  men  to 
have  confided  to  them  the  secrets  of  the  Loyalists,  and  con- 
sequently had  nothing  to  impart. + 


*Dr.  John  Whclchel's  MS.  pension  statement. 

tCapt.  Mattlicw  Patton's  MS.  pension  statement. 

J  Colonel  WofTorcl  suliseqiienily  K'^ve  much  attention  to  the  surveying  of  lands  ;  and, 
several  years  after  the  war,  removed  to  what  is  now  Habersham  county,  denrgia,  where  he 
became  an  influential  citizen,  and  died  near  Toccoa  Falls,  about  1823,  at  the  age  of  about 


a  a 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


188 


The  respective  divisions — tlie  one  at  the  Turkey  Cove, 
and  the  other  at  the  North  Cove — had  marched  soinelifteen 
miles  this  day.  Colonel  Charles  McDowell  must  have  been 
able  to  inform  the  troops,  whom  he  happily  m(.'t  at  the 
North  Cove,  that  Ferguson  was  jet  at  and  near  Gilbert 
Town  ;  that  Cleveland  and  Winston,  at  the  head  of  the 
Wilkes  and  Surry  men,  were  approaching  in  strong  force; 
and  that  the  South  Carolina  parties  under  Lace}'  and 
Ilill,  and  Williams'  separate  corps,  were  at  no  great  dis- 
tance. That  Ferguson  was  still  reposing  in  fancied  se- 
curity within  striking  distance,  and  that  strong  Whig  re- 
inforcements were  at  Land,  were  matters  of  good  omen  ; 
and  tended,  in  no  small  degree,  to  encourage  and  inspirit 
the  patriots  in  their  combined  efforts  and  self-denials  to 
rid  their  suHering  country  of  a  powerful,  invading  foe. 

On  Saturday  morning,  the  thirtieth  of  the  mo.  ''i, 
the  troops  at  the  North  Cove  took  up  t'leir  line  of  march, 
passing  over  Silver  and  Linville  mountains,  then  along  a 
dividing  ridge,  and  down  Paddie's  creek  to  the  Catawba. 
They  probably  rested  at  mid-day,  delaying  a  while  for  the 
detachment  from  Turkc}'  Cove,  who  had  several  miles 
farther  to  mi  rch  in  order  to  overtake  thcj.  When  re- 
united, and  refreshed,  they  pushed  on,  as  the  old  trail  then 
ran,  from  die  mouUi  of  Paddie's  creek,  down  the  north- 
west bank  of  the  Catawba,  crossing  the  mouth  of  Linville 
river,*  and  thence  to  the  Qiuiker  Meadows,  the  noted  home 

ninety-five  years,  being  alile  to  read  and  write  without  spectacles  to  the  last.  Oeneral 
Wm    T.  WofTord.  of  n.irtnw  county,  Georfiia,  is  liis  great  grandson. 

A  daimhter  of  Colonel  WofTords  was,  in  after  years,  married  to  David  Gillespie,  the  old- 
est son  of  Henry  C,illP5pie.  David  C.illespie  was  a  youth  of  some  fourteen  years  when  the 
over-mountain  men  marched  to  Kind's  Mountain.  All  throuRh  life  he  was  very  observant, 
and  possessed  a  most  retentive  memory  ;  and  from  him  these  facts  were  derived  ahout  a 
portion  of  the  mountaineers  goinR  to  Turkey  Cove,  ami  the  others  to  the  North  Cove,  and 
ahout  the  detention  of  his  father  in  camp  over  ni^ht.  We  are  indebted  to  Wm.  A, 
McCall.  of  North  Cove,  for  these  traditions  which  he  had  from  his  grandfather,  David 
C.illcsjiie,  and  to  some  extent,  corroborated  by  Arthur  MrF.\l!.  an  old  hunter  of  the  Kevo- 
lutionary  period,  who  frequently  made  his  home  with  ('■illespie.  At  the  venerable  age 
of  about  ninety-two,  David  Ciillesiiie  died   in   Turkey  Cove,  in  1859. 

*This  fine  mount.iin  stream  was  named  from  this  circumstance.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  summer  of  1766,  William  Linville,  his  son.  and  a  voung  man,  had  gone  from  the  lower 
Yadkin  to  this  river  to  hunt,  where   they  were  surprised  by  a  party  of  Indians,  the  two 


184 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


of  Colonel  Charles  and  Maior  Joseph  McDowell.  Here 
they  encamped  for  thi>  night,  after  a  lonj^  and  wearisome 
march,  especially  on  the  part  of  Campbell's  corps,  who  had 
accomplished  well-ni<(h  thirty-one  miles  this  day,  and  the 
others  about  twenty-three.*  Tlie  McDowells  did  all  within 
their  power  to  render  the  mountaineers  comfortable  around 
their  cheerful  camp-fuvs — Major  McDowell  particularl}- 
bi(Ulin<,r  them  to  freely  avail  themselves  of  his  drv  rails 
in  kindlinn;  their  lires  for  their  evening  repast,  and  for  their 
night's  enjoyment. t 

Here  they  had  the  joyous  satisfaction  of  being  joined 
by  the  troops  from  Wilkes  and  Surry,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Cleveland  and  Winston — reported  at  the  time,  for 
effect,  at  eight  hundred,  but  really  numbering  only  three 
hundred  and  lifty.  When  the  people  of  the  Yadkin  region 
heard  of  Ferguson's  advance  into  Burke  count}-,  and  of 
the  engagement  so  near  them,  at  the  head  of  Cane  creek, 
between  McDowell  and  the  British  and  Tory  forces,  it 
exerted  a  powerful  influence  in  arousing  them  for  active  ser- 
vice. Some  of  them,  under  Colonel  Cleveland,  had  been 
on  the  head  of  New  river,  suppressing  the  Tory  insurrec- 
tion in  that  quarter  ;  and  when  they  received  tidings  of  the 
approach  of  the  over-mountain  men,  they  were  already  em- 
bodied, waiting  to  march  at  the  tap  of  the  dnim — if  not, 
indeed,  actuall}-  en  route  to  join  their  dii-tant  brethren. 
WVst  from  Wilkesboro,  some  eight  or  ten  miles,  they  crossed 
the  Yadkin  at  the  mouth  of  W^arrior  creek;  thence  bearing 
to    the    south-west,    some    eighteen    or  twcnt}'  miles,   thej' 


I.iiiviUcs  killed,  tho  otlier  person,  thoiijjh  bailly  wonnded,  effecting  his  escape.  'I'lie  Lin- 
villes  were  rel.ited  to  the  famous  Daniel  Iloone. 

*  "iVe  are  indebted  to  Mr.  McCall  for  the  route  of  march  of  the  King's  Mniint.iin  men 
from  the  North  Cove  to  the  Qiialter  Meadows,  derived  from  his  grandfather,  David  Gilles- 
pie. Beside  Mr.  McCall's  tradition,  John  Spelts  and  the  venerable  Major  Samuel  G, 
BLiloclc,  declare  that  they  marched  by  way  of  Quaker  Meadows  and  Morganton.  Captain  A. 
Burgin  ;;.'d  J.  C.  Whitson  both  of  McDowell  County,  North  Carolina,  state,  on  the  author- 
ity of  aged  people  of  the  Upper  Catawba  valley,  related  to  them  many  years  since,  that 
the  over-mountain  men  assuredly  took  the  route  by  the  (Quaker  Meadows  on  tlieir  outward 
march. 

tMS.  notes  of  conversations  wiih  John  Spelts,  of  Marshall  county,  Miss.,  in  1844, 
a  venerable  survivor  of  Major  McUowell's  King's  Mountain  men. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


ISo 


reached  old  Fort  Dt'tiancc  ;  and  tlu'nco  soirje  t'i^dit  or  ten 
miles  across  Warrior  mountain,  to  Crider's  Fort,*  where 
the  village  of  Lenoir  is  now  located.  Here  Philip  Evans, 
one  of  the  Surry  men,  received  a  severe  injur \-  by  a  fall 
from  his  horse,  which  nuidered  it  necessary  to  lea\e  him 
there  for  recovery.! 

Hut  :i  worse  accident  befell  Lieutenant  Larkin  CK'\e- 
land,  a  younger  brother  of  the  Colonel,  ll  was  some  ti-n 
miles  from  Crider's  Fort,  crossing  the  lirushy  mountain,  to 
Lovelady's  Ford  of  the  Catawba.  While  crossing  the  liver, 
Twieutenant  Cleveland,  with  the  advance,  after  having 
passed  a  narrow  defile  between  a  rocky  clifVand  the  stream, 
was  shot  by  some  concealed  Tories  in  the  clilV,  severely 
wounding  him  in  the  thigh.  The  Loyalists  had  learned 
of  Colonel  Cleveland's  march,  and  had  resolved  on  his 
destruction,  hoping  thereby  to  cripple  the  expedition  and 
possil")ly  defeat  its  object.  Colonel  Cleveland  and  his 
brother  very  much  resembled  each  other  in  size  and 
general  appearance ;  and  the  Tories  probably  mistook 
the  latter  tor  the  Colonel. 

Till'  men  in  the  rear,  on  hearing  the  volley,  rushed  for- 
ward to  surround  the  daring  party  in  ambush,  and,  if 
possible,  to  elVect  their  capture  ;  but  the  birds  had  llown. 
Sending  the  wounded  Lieutenant  in  a  canoe  up  the  river, 
the  troops  forded  the  stream  without  further  trouble,  and  ad- 
vancing half  a  dozen  miles,  passed  through  Morganton — or 
what  was  shortK'  after  so  named  in  honor  of  General  Daniel 
Morgan,  the  hero  of  the  Cowpens  ;  and,  about  two  miles  west 

*  Hon.  J.  C.  Harper,  of  Patterson,  Caldwell  County,  N  C,  writes:  ''Fort  Crider 
was  situated  on  a  small  eminence  within  the  present  limits  of  F.enoir.  It  had  a  hill  on  the 
east,  and  another  on  the  west.  Some  forty  years  ago,  I  heard  old  Henry  Sumter  relate, 
that  when  the  fort  was  built,  a  hunter  came  along,  and  declared  it  was  not  safe,  as  he  could 
shoot  a  man  in  it  from  either  of  the  hills.  On  this  being  disputed,  a  coat  was  hung  on  a 
stick  within  the  stockade,  and  the  hunter,  at  the  first  fire,  sent  his  ball  through  it  from  the 
top  of  the  western  hill.     It  was  a  remarkable  shot  for  a  gun  of  those  days.'' 

t  Evans'  MS.  pension  statement.  \\x.  Evans  recovered  in  good  season  to  aid  in 
guarding  the  prisoners  on  the  return  of  the  King's  Mountain  men  ;  and  to  share  under 
Major  McDowell,  in  Morgan's  glorious  victory  at  the  Cowpens,  January  17.  1781.  He 
was  a  native  of  Rowan  County,  N.  C,  born  June  17,  1759!  ai"l  died  in  Greenville  County, 
S.  C,  June  10,  1849.  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 


I  ' 

I: 


ili 


186 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


:!' 


I 


If:! 


of  tliiit  point,  they  again  reached  and  re-crossed  the  Catawba, 
meeting  with  a  joyful  rect-ption  h\'  the  INIcDovvells  and  the 
mountaineers  at  the  (^laker  Meadows.  I  lere  Lieutenant 
Clexehuid  was  confided  lo  the  care  of  the  widowed  molhi-r 
of  the  McDowells,  wlio  bi-siowed  ever\'  attention  upon  the 
unfortunate  otlicer.  Though  lie  in  time  recovered,  he  was 
a  cripple  tor  life.* 

Sunday  morning,  October  die  lirst,  dawned  brightly 
upon  the  mountaineers  at  tlu-ir  camp,  at  the  (^laki-r  Mead- 
ows— a  uratifvini'"  contimialion  ol  the  line  weather  that  had 
enabli'd  them  so  conilorlahly.  and  with  such  satisfactory 
progress,  to  pass  the  mountain  ranges.  Resuming  tiieir 
march,  with  a  better  roaci,  they  made  a  more  rapid  advance, 
passing  the  Pilot  mountain,  near  the  present  village  of  Brin- 
dletown — a  noted  beacon  for  travelers,  prominently  discern- 
ihli'  tor  many  miles  away.  In  the  afternoon  a  rain  storm 
set  in,  and  they  early  encamped  in  a  gap  of  the  South 
mountain,  near  where  the  heads  of  Cane  and  Sihcr  creeks 
interlock  each  other,  and  not  very  fu"  Irom  the  scene  of  the 
light  thrive  wi'i'ks  beforr,  betwi'en  the  l?ritish  and  "^Pory 
forces  and  Colonel  McDowell's  party.  This  day's  march 
numbered  some  eighteen  miles. 

So  wet  did  the  next  day,  Monda\',  prove,  that  the  army 
remained  in  their  camp.  The  little  disordi-rs  and  irregu- 
larities which  began  io  prevail  among  tlu'  tror)ps,  imaccus- 
tomed  to  discipline  and  restraint,  occasiont-c'i  no  little  un- 
easiness among  the  commanding  ollicers.  As  if  b\  instinct, 
the  tleld  otlicers  of  the  st-veral  corps  met  that  evening  for 
consultation.  Colonel  McDowell,  as  the  senior  ollicer,  pre- 
sided. It  was  suggested  that  inasmuch  as  the  troops  were 
from  ditVerent  States,  no  one  properly  had  the  right  to  com- 
mand the  whole,  and  it  was  important  that  there  should  be 
a   military  head    to    their   organization  ;  and,  to   this  end, 

*MS.  statement  of  Klijali  Callaway;  and  MS.  letters  of  Sliailrach  FranHin  ami  Jere- 
miali  Cleveland — the  two  latter  nephews  of  the  wcinndcd  Lieutenant,  Callaway  was  a 
stout  lad  of  some  elfven  years  at  that  time,  a  resident  of  Wilkes  county,  and  well 
aciiiiaiiiteJ  with  the  Clevclands. 


f 


'k 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


187 


that  a  messenger  be  sent  to  General  Gates,  at  his  iu'ad- 
quarti-rs,  \vhere\er  they  niijjfht  be,  inforniinfjf  him  ol'  their 
situation,  and  recjuestinj^f  liim  to  send  forward  a  general  olli- 
cer  to  take  the  command.     'Phis  was  agreed  to. 

Anything  looking  liki-  delay  was  not  in  accordance  with 
the  views  ot  8helb\'  anil  his  associate  olhcers — i'.\|H'dition 
and  dispatch  were  all-important  at  this  critical  juncture.  It 
was  now  proposed,  to  meet  tlu'  emergency,  that  llie  corps 
commanders  should  conxi'Ue  in  council  daily,  to  deti'rmine 
on  till"  measures  to  be  pursued  the  ensuing  da}',  and  appoint 
one  ol"  their  riumlu'r  as  ollicer  of  llu>  d.i\'.  to  jnit  them  in 
execution,  until  tliey  should  otherwise  determine.  Colonel 
Shelby,  not  (juite  satisfied  with  this  suggestion,  observed 
that  they  were  then  within  sixteen  or  eighteen  miles  of  (lil- 
biMl  Town,  where  they  supposed  Ferguson  to  be,  w  ho  would 
ci'rtaiidy  attack  them  if  strong  enough  to  do  so,  or  avoid 
them,  it"  too  weak,  until  he  could  collect  more  men,  or  ob- 
tain a  reinforcemi-nt,  with  which  they  would  not  dari'  to  co]ie, 
and  hence  it  behooved  them  to  act  with  decision  and 
pinmiititnde.  They  needed,  he  continued,  an  I'lhcient  hea.d, 
anil  \igorous  movements;  that  all  the  commanding  ollicers 
were  North  Carolinians  save  Colonel  Campbell,  who  was 
from  \'irginia  ;  thai  he  knew  him  to  be  a  man  of  good 
sense,  and  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of  his  countr}' ; 
thai  lie  connnanded  the  largest  regiment,  and  closed  by 
proposing  to  make  Camjibell  conunanding  ofllcer,  until  a 
general  ollicer  should  arrive  from  head-quarters,  and  that 
they  march  immediately  against  the  enemy. 

Colonel  Campbell  thereupon  took  Colonel  Shelby  aside 
and  requested  him  to  withdraw  his  name,  and  consent  to 
serve  himself.  Slielbv  replied  that  he  was  the  youngest 
Colonel  presetit — w  hich  was  true  :  that  he  had  served  under 
Colonel  McDowell,  who  was  too  slow  for  such  an  enter- 
prise, who  would  naturally  take  oflence  should  he  be  ele- 
vated to  the  connnand  over  him  ;  that  while  he  (Shelby) 
ranked  Campbell,  and  as  the  latter  was  the  only  ofllcer  from 


"  1 


■.Ui 


188 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Virginia,  if  he  pressed  liis  appointment,  no  one  would 
object.  Colonel  Campbell  felt  the  force  of  this  reasoning, 
and  consented  to  serve.  The  proposition  was  approved  and 
adopted. 

Shelby's  object  in  suggesting  Colonel  Campbell's  ap- 
poinment,  is  best  explained  by  himself.  "  I  made  the 
proposition,"  says  L-^helby  in  his  pamphlet,  in  1823,  "  to 
silence  the  expectations  of  Colonel  McDowell  to  command 
us — he  being  the  commanding  oOicer  of  the  district  we 
w^ere  then  in,  and  had  commanded  the  armies  of  militia 
assembled  in  that  quarter  all  the  summer  before  against 
the  same  enemy.  He  was  a  brave  and  patriotic  man,  but 
we  considered  him  too  far  advanced  in  life,  and  too  inactive 
for  the  command  of  such  an  enterprise  as  we  were  engaged 
in.  I  was  sure  he  would  not  serve  under  a  younger  oflicer 
from  his  own  State,  and  hoped  that  his  feelings  would, 
in  some  degree,  be  saved  by  the  appointment  of  Colonel 
Campbell."  In  his  narrati^'e,  in  the  American  Review^ 
December,  1848,  Governor  Shelby  makes  no  reference  to 
McDowell's  age,  but  simply  states,  that  he  "was  too  slow 
an  officer"  for  the  enterprise. 

Though  Colonel  Shelby  speaks  of  McDowell's  age  as 
objectionable  for  such  a  service,  it  really  deserved  little,  if 
anv,  consideration.  He  was  then  only  some  thirty-seven 
years  of  age* — Colonel  Cleveland  was  some  years  older, 
and  Shelby  himself,  the  yoimgest  of  the  Colonels,  was  only 
seven  years  his  junior.  It  may  be  curious  to  note,  that 
"Old  Put,"  then  in  active  service,  was  twenty-five  years 
older  than  McDowell,  General  Evan  Shelby,  the  Colonel's 
father,  who,  the  year  before,  commanded  an  important 
expedition    against   the    Chicamauga    Indian    towns,    was 

*  There  is  much  diversity  in  the  authorities  as  to  General  McDowell's  hirth-year. 
It  is  assumed,  in  this  connection,  tliat  he  was  horn  in  1743,  as  stated  in  Wheeler  s  Hist,  of 
North  Cnroliiiii,  piihlished  while  Captain  Charles  Mcnowcll,  a  son  of  the  C.eneral.  was 
still  livinR,  and  who  is  helicved  to  have  furnished  the  statement.  Other  accounts,  of  a  tra- 
ditional character,  place  his  birth,  one  in  1740,  and  another  in  1742  ;  while  his  tomli-stone, 
givinK  the  date  of  his  death,  March  31.  1S15.  says  he  was  "about  seventy  years  of  .age." 
If  this  latter  be  true,  then  he  was  still  younger,  born  about  1745. 


1  .■  . 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


189 


twenty-three  3'ears  older,  General  Stark  fifteen,  Washing- 
ton eleven,  Marion  ten,  Sumter  at  least  four,  and  General 
Greene  one.  The  real  objection  to  Colonel  McDowell  was 
not  so  much  his  age,  as  his  hick  of  tact  and  elllciency  for 
such  a  command  ;  and,  it  has  been  hinted,  moreo\er,  that 
his  conduct  at  the  Cane  creek  allair  was  not  without  its 
iiilluence  in  producing  the  general  distrust  entertained  of 
his  litness  to  lead  the  mountain  men  on  this  important  ser- 
vice. The  expression  was  quite  general,  that  General 
Morgan  or  General  Davidson  should  be  sent  to  take  the 
command ;  the  former,  especially,  who  had  gained  such 
renown  at  Saratoga,  and  had  recently  joined  General 
Gates,  was  highly  esteemed   by  the  mountaineers.* 

Colonel  McDowell,  who  had  the  good  of  his  countr}'' 
at  heart  more  than  any  title  to  command,  submitted  grace- 
fully to  what  was  done  ;  but  observed,  that  as  he  could  not 
be  permitted  to  command,  he  would,  if  agreeable,  convey 
to  head-quarters  the  request  for  a  general  ofllcer.  This 
was  warmly  approved,  as  it  was  justly  declared  that  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  situation  of  the  country,  and  could, 
better  than  any  other,  concert  with  General  Gates  a  plan  of 
future  operations,  and  they  would  await  his  retin^n.  The 
manner  in  which  this  was  presented  gratified  McDowell, 
who  at  once  set  oft'  on  his  mission,  leaving  his  men  under 
the  command  of  his  brother,  Major  Joseph  McDowell. f 
Passing  through  Burke  count}-,  McDowell's  command,  par- 
ticularly, was  considerably  increased]:  b}'^  relatives,  friends 


*Tliis  stntement  of  the  action  of  the  officers  in  f  oiincil  at  the  South  Mountain  camp  is 
made  up  hiri;ely  frJni  Shelby's  narratives;  that  in  Haywoml  and  Ramsey's  Histories  o/ 
I'cnnessi'c,  his  pamphlet  of  1823.  and  his  Hardin  arcount  in  the  AiiiericiDi  Rc7'if:i>  of  Decem- 
ber. 1848.  The  late  Colonel  \Vm.  Martin,  of  Tennessee,  also  furnished  his  recollections 
as  derived  in  conversations  with  Cok>nel  Cleveland.  John  Spelts,  one  of  the  King's 
Mountain  men,  related  several  facts  connected  with  this  council. 

■j- Of  the  result  of  McDowell's  mission,  we  have  no  information,  save  that  he  called  at 
the  camp  of  Lacey  and  Mill,  and  their  South  Carolinians,  and  Williams  and  his  corps,  at 
Flint  Hill,  a  dozen  miles  or  so  to  the  eastward  of  the  head  of  Cane  creek  He  doubtless 
visiteil  Oeneral  Gates,  at  Hillsboro;  but  as  the  news  of  the  King's  Mountain  victory 
reached  there  nearly  as  early  as  Colonel  McDowell,  there  was  no  occasion  for  any  action 
ill  the  premises. 

J  Shelby's  narrative,  1823. 


190 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


and  neighbors;  and  there  John  Spe''!:3,§  or  Continental 
Jack,  as  he  was  familiarly  called  b\-  his  associates,  first 
joined  Shelbys  regiment,  but  fought  under  McDowell. 
Colonel  Campbell  now  assumed  tiie  chief  command;  in 
which,  however,  he  was  to  be  directed  and  regulated  by  tliC 
determination  of  the  Colonels,  who  were  to  meet  every  day 
for  consultation. 

Everything  was  now  arranged  quite  satisfactorily  to  the 
Whig  chiefs ;  and  their  men  were  full  of  martial  ardor, 
anxious  to  meet  the  foe,  coniulent  of  their  ability,  with 
their  unerring  rifles,  to  overthrow  Ferguson  and  his  Loyal- 
ist followers,  even  were  their  numbers  far  greater  than  they 
were  represented. 


g  MS.  notes  of  coiiversntions  wiih  Spoils,  in  1844.  He  w.ts  a  jolly  old  soldier,  then  in 
his  ninoty-rnurth  year,  anU  from  him  were  derived  many  interesting  reminiscences  of  the 
Revolution, 


It  I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


191 


CHAPTER  X. 


September— October,  1780. 


Further  Gathering  of  the  Kings  Mountain  Men. —  Williams'  North 
Carolina  Recruits. — Movements  of  Sumter's  Force  under  Hill  and 
Lacey. —  Troubles  with  Williams. — Manh  to  Flint  Hill. —  The 
Mountaineers  at  their  South  Mountain  Camp. — Talriotic  Appeals 
of  the  Officers  to  their  Men. — Resuml:  of  Ferguson  s  Operations  in 
the  Upper  Catawba  Valley. — Alarming  Intelligence  of  the  Ap- 
proach of  the  Back  Water  A/en — Why  Ferguson  Tarried  so  long 
on  the  Frontiers. — British  Scheme  of  Suppressing  the  Rebellion  by 
the  Gallows. — Ferguson  Flees  from  Gilbert  Town. — Sends  Messen- 
gers for  aid  to  Cornwallis  and  Cruger. — Frenzied  Appeal  to  the 
Tories.  —  Ferguson's  Breakfast  Stolen  by  Saucy  Whigs.  —  His 
Flight  to  Tate's  Ferry. — Dispatch  to  Lord  Cornwallis. —  Takes 
Post  on  King's  Alountain,  and  Description  of  it. — Motives  for 
Lingering  there. 

It  will  be  remembered,  that  Governor  Nash  had  granted 
to  Colonel  Williams,  a  South  Carolinian,  the  privilege  of 
organizing  a  corps  of  mounted  men  within  the  North  Prov- 
ince. Under  this  authority ,  he  enlisted  about  seventy,  chiefly 
while  encamped  at  Iliggin's  plantation,  'n  Rowan  Count}'. 
Colonel  Brandon  and  Major  Hammond  were  quite  active 
in  this  service.  The  call  for  recruits  was  dated  September 
twenty-third;  and  was  headed:  "A  call  to  arms  I — Beef, 
bread,  and  potatoes."  These  implied  promises  of  good 
fare  were  more  easily  made  than  fulfilled — probably  based 
on  the  fact  that  Governor  Nash  had  given  orders  to  the 
commissaries  of  that  State  to  furnish  the  party  "such  sup- 
plies as  may  be  necessar}-."  Colonel  Hill  tells  us,  that 
these  North  Carolinians  who  enrolled  under  Williams,  were 
men  who  shirked  dut}'  under  their  own  local  officers  :  and 
besides  the  tempting  offer  of  "beef,  bread,  and  potatoes," 
Colonel  Williams  had  furthermore  promised  what  was  re- 


tfl 


! 


;: 


ii 


192 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


gardod  as  still  bettor  in  the  estimation  of  men  of  easy 
virtue — the  privilege  of  plundering  the  Tories  of  South 
Carolina  of  "as  many  negroes  and  horses  as  they  might 
choose  to  take." 

This  little  force,  as  Major  Hammond  states  in  his  pen- 
sion application,  constituted  "the  largest  portion  of  Wil- 
liams' conuuand  at  King's  Mountain;"  and  with  them  the 
Colonel  pushed  lorward  some  sixty  or  seventy  miles  south- 
west of  Salisbury,  where,  after  crossing  the  Catawba  at  the 
Tuckasegie  Ford,  on  the  second  of  October,  he  found 
Sumter's  command  under  Colonels  Hill  and  Lacey,  in  the 
forks  of  the  main  ancf  south  branches  of  that  stream.*  This 
part}-,  to  the  number  of  about  two  hundred  and  seventy,  had 
retired  from  South  Caroliiui  for  their  own  safety,  and  to  be 
in  readiness  to  form  a  junction  with  others  whenever  they 
could  hope  thereby  to  render  useful  service  to  their  sufl'er- 
ing  country.  Williams  marched  into  the  camp  of  Sumter's 
men  ;  and  as  Sumter  himself,  and  the  most  of  his  principal 
officers  were  still  absent — the  latter,  endeavoring  to  arrange 
with  Governor  Rutledge  with  reference  to  the  command, 
Williams  probably  thought  it  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
read  again,  as  he  did,  his  commission  of  Brigadier,  and 
with  an  imperious  air,  commanded  the  officers  and  men  to 
submit  to  his  authority.  Colonel  Hill  frankly  told  him,  in 
no  gingerly  language,  that  there  was  not  an  officer  nor  a 
man  in  the  whole  body  who  would,  for  a  moment,  yield 
obedience  to  him  ;  that  commissioners  had  been  sent  to  the 
Governor  with  proofs  of  the  baseness  of  his  conduct,  as 
they  regarded  it,  whose  return  was  soon  expected.  Evi- 
dently fearing,  from  what  he  saw  around  him,  that  he 
might  be  subjected  to  worse  treatment  than  a  mere  I'enunci- 


*C<iIoneI  Hill's  Manuscript  Narrative;  Major  Hammond's  and  Andrew  Floyd's  pen- 
sion statements  :  Ci)lonel  Williams'  letter  to  General  Gates,  October  2,  1780,  in  the  gazettes 
of  the  day,  and  Almon's  Remevibrancer.  xi.  158. 

By  some  unaccountable  mistake,  or  misprint,  this  letter  of  Colonel  Williams,  is  dated 
"  Rurke  County;  "  when  all  the  other  antliorities,  Hill.  Floyd.  Hammond  and  Whelchel— 
the  two  latter  of  Williams'  party— combine  to  show,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  they  were  at  this 
time  in  Lintuln  County,  west  or  south-west  of  Tuckasegie  Ford. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


193 


ation  of  words,  Williams  thought  it  prudent  to  beat  a  sale 
retreat,  which  he  did,  forming  his  camp  some  distance 
apart  from  the  other. 

Colonels  Hill  and  Lacey  had  previously  designed  to 
form  a  junction  with  General  Davidson,  of  North  Carolina, 
to  whom  they  had  sent  an  express,  who  gave  them,  in  re- 
turn, information,  probably  derived  through  a  niessenger  from 
Colonel  McDowell  on  his  earliest  return  from  Watauga,  that 
there  was,  by  this  time,  a  considerable  body  of  men  from 
both  sides  of  the  mountains,  marching  with  a  view  of 
measurintj  swords  and  rilles  with  the  redoubtable  Fermison. 
With  this  gratifying  intelligence,  they  crossed  the  Catawba 
at  Beattie's  Ford,  and  that  evening  received  the  call  already 
related,  from  Colonel  Williams.  That  day  Colonels  Gra- 
ham and  Ilambright  had  joined  the  South  Carolinians,  with 
a  small  party  of  some  sixty  men  from  Lincoln  Count}-. 

On  that  evening  Colonel  Hill  suggested  to  Colonel 
Lacey,  that,  as  they  might  have  to  encounter  a  superior 
force  in  a  short  time,  they  had  better  conciliate  Colonel 
Williams,  though  his  followers  were  but  few,  if  they  could 
do  so  without  recoiinizin<r  his  vi<A\\.  to  command  them. 
Lacey  coincided  with  this  view.  It  was  therefore  proposed 
that  the  troops  shcnild  be  arranged  into  three  divisions 
— the  South  Carolinians  proper,  Graham  and  Ilambrlghts 
party,  and  Williams"  Ibllowers,  who,  by  this  time,  would 
seem  to  have  been  joined  by  Captain  Roebuck's  company- — 
perhaps  some  twenty  or  thirty  in  number ;  and  choose  a 
commanding  otTicer  for  the  whole,  the  orders  and  move- 
ments of  the  corps  to  be  determined  b}-  all  the  oflicers. 
When  the  matter  was  submitted  to  him  the  next  morning, 
he  "spurned  "  the  offer,  as  Colonel  Hill  informs  us,  renew- 
ing the  intimation,  that  by  virtue  of  his  Brigadier's  com- 
mission, he  would  command  the  whole.  He  was  plainly 
told,  that  if  he  would  not  accept  the  honorable  offer  made 
him,  he  should  absent  himself,  and  not  attempt  to  march 
with  the  South  Carolina  and  Lincoln  County  men,  or  the 


13 


;j  I 


U 


J 


194 


AVJVG'S  MOUNTAIN 


! 


consequences  might  be  more  serious  thiin  would  be  agree- 
able to  him.  Seeing  no  prospect  of  carrying  his  point, 
Williams  linally  acceded  to  tlie  proposition,  and  an  ollicer 
was  chosen  to  command  the  whole.  That  day  the  spies 
came  in  with  the  intelligence,  that  the  mountaiti  men  were 
advancing  through  a  valli>v  between  a  lari^e  and  small 
mountain — probably  referring  to  the  South  Mountain,  at 
the  head  of  Cane  creek. 

This  party  of  South  Carolinians  and  their  associates 
marched  through  Lincoln  County,  crossing  the  upper  forks 
of  Dutchman's  creek,  proceeding  on  to  Ramsour's  Mill, 
on  the  South  Fork  of  Catawba ;  thence  bearing  some- 
what south-westwardly,  crossing  BulTalo  and  First  Broad 
rivers,  to  Flint  Hill* — now  sometimes  known  as  Cherry 
Mountain,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Rutherford  County — a 
great  place  of  modern  siunmer  resort,  where  cherries  in 
their  season  abound. f  From  the  flinty  rocks  along  the 
mountain  sides  gush  many  clear  and  cool  springs,  the 
heads  of  neighboring  streams.  The  hill  was  covered  with 
timber,  as  was  doubtless  the  surrounding  countr}-,  rendering 
the  locality  a  most  inviting  camping  ground.  X  Here,  on  the 
third  of  Octobc  the  South  Carolinians,  the  Lincoln  men, 
and  Williams'  J^rty,  took  up  their  temporary  quarters.  On 
the  da}-  of  their  arrival  at  Flint  Hill,  Colonel  McDowell 
called  on  them  while  on  his  mission  to  IIillsboro;§  but  the 
designs  of  the  mountain  men  to  make  a  push  for  Ferguson 
were  not  fully  resolved  on  till  after  the  Colonel's  departure. 
Ilis  intelligence,  therefore,  was  not  sufficiently  decisive  to 
warrant  them  in  taking  up  their  line  of  march  in  an}-  direc- 
tion ;  and  so  they  patiently  awaited  furdier  developments 
of  the  plans  and  movements  of  the  mountaineers. 

Let  us  return  to  the  mountain  men  whom  we  left  in  camp 


*MS.   pensinn   statements  nf  Dr.  John  \V)ickhel.  of  Williams'  party,  an  J   Andrew 
Floyd,  of  Gralinm's  men. 

t  Colonel  J.  R    Logan's  MS.  correspondence. 

JMS.  letter  of  W.T.Twitty. 

g  Shelby's  narrative  in  AiiirHcan  Rn'ie-.v,  December,  1848. 


AND  /TS  HEROES. 


195 


in  the  ^'ap  al  South  Mountain,  some  sixteen  or  eighteen 
miles  north  of  (lilhert  Town.  It  was  now  supposed  tliat 
the  decisive  contest  between  tlie  Tories  of  liie  VV'esiern 
Carolinas  and  their  \Vhi<^  antai^onists  woukl  be  fought  at 
that  phice.  Tlie  ollicers  of  the  mountaineers  were  more  or 
less  experienced,  and  felt  an  abiding  confidence  of  success. 
Thinking  it  a  good  occasion,  before  taking  up  the  line  of 
march  on  the  morning  of  October  the  third,  to  address  a 
few  stirring  words  to  the  patriotic  ami}-.  Colonel  Cleve- 
land requested  the  troops  to  form  a  circle,  and  he  "would 
tell  them  the  news,"  as  he  expressed  it.  Though  a  rough, 
uncouth  frontiersman,  and  weighing  at  this  time  full}-  two 
lumdreil  .md  lifty  pounds,  Cleveland  possessed  the  happy 
facult}'  of  inspiring  men  with  much  of  his  own  indomitable 
spirit.  Colonel  Sevier  was  active  in  getting  the  men  into 
form,  assuring  them  that  they  would  hear  something  that 
would  interest  them.  Cleveland  came  within  the  circle, 
accompanied  by  Campbell,  Shelby,  Sevier,  McDowell, 
Winston,  and  other  oflicers  ;  and  taking  ofl'  his  hat,  said 
with  much  freedom  and  eflect : 

"  Now,  m}-  brave  fellovs,  I  have  come  to  tell  you  the 
news.  The  eneni}-  is  at  hand,  and  we  must  up  and  at 
them.  Now  is  the  time  for  every  man  of  ^  ou  to  do  his 
country  a  priceless  service — such  as  shall  lead  your 
children  to  exult  in  the  fact  that  their  fathers  were  the 
conquerors  of  Ferguson.  When  the  pinch  comes,  I  shaH 
be  with  you.  But  if  any  of  you  shrink  from  sharing  in  the 
batde  and  the  glory,  you  can  now  have  the  opportunity 
of  backing  out,  and  leaving  ;  and  you  shall  have  a  few 
minutes  for  considering  the  matter."' 

"Well,  my  good  fellows."  inquired  Major  McDowell, 
with  a  winning  smile  on  his  countenance,  "what  kind  of  a 
story  will  you,  who  back  out,  have  to  relate  when  you  get 
home,  leaving  your  braver  comrades  to  fight  the  battle,  and 
gain  the  victory?" 

"You  have  all  been  informed  of  the  ofFer."  said  Shelby  ; 


I'Jd 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Ml 


*'  you  who  desire  to  decline  it,  will,  when  the  word  is  j^iven, 
march  three  steps  to  llie  rear,  and  stand,  prior  to  which  a 
lew  more  mimiti'S  will  he  granted  you  lor  consideration." 
At  lenj^th  the  word  was  given  hy  tlu'  ollicers  to  their  re- 
spective commands,  that  "those  who  desin-d  to  hack  out 
would  step  three  paces  in  the  rear."  Not  a  man  accepted 
the  unjKilriotic  privilege.  A  murmur  of  applause  arose 
from  the  men  on  every  hand,  who  seemed  to  he  proud  of 
each  other,  that  there  weri'  no  slinks  nor  cowards  among 
their  numher.  "  I  am  heartily  glad,"  said  Shelhy,  "to  see 
you  to  a  man  resolve  to  meet  and  light  your  country's  foes. 
When  we  encounter  the  enemy,  don't  wait  for  the  word  of 
command.  Let  each  one  of  you  be  your  own  oflicer,  and 
do  the  very  best  you  can,  taking  every  care  you  can  of 
yourselves,  and  availing  yourselves  of  every  advantage  that 
chance  may  throw  in  your  way.  If  in  the  woods,  shelter 
yoiu'selves,  and  give  them  Indian  play  ;  advance  from  tree 
to  tree,  pressing  the  enemy  and  killing  and  disabling  all 
vou  can.  Your  ollicers  will  shrink  fiom  no  danger — they 
will  be  constantly  with  you,  and  the  moment  the  enemy  give 
way,  be  on  the  alert,  and  strictly  obe}'  orders."  * 

These  appeals  to  the  mountain  men  were  adroitly  put, 
and  had  a  good  eflect.  Each  soldier  felt  that  he  could  im- 
plicitly rely  on  his  fellows  to  stand  by  him  to  the  last.  The 
troops  were  now  dismissed,  with  directions  to  be  read}'  to 
march  in  three  hours — and  have  provisions  pri'pareil  for 
two  meals,  and  placed  in  their  knapsacks.  Cleveland  and 
McDowell  seem  to  have  obtained  some  liquor,  and  added 
that  "  when  the  men  were  ready  for  the  march,  they  should 
have  a  'treat.'  "  f  They  marched  down  Cane  creek  a  few 
mile?,  making  slow  progress,  and  encamped  for  the  night 
with  the  usual  muirds  on  dutv.  The  next  dav,  October  the 
fourth,  they  renewed  the  march,  fording  and  re-fording 
Cane  creek  many  times,  as  the  trail  then  ran,  and  at  night 

■■'MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  John  Spelts,  whose  inLinory  of  this  gathering,  and 
llic  remark-,  of  Cleveland,  McDowell  and  Shelby,  was  clear  and  vivid, 
t  Spelts'  recollections. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


11)7 


roaclu'd  tho  noighborhond  of  its  mouth,  iti  the  roifion  of 
GilbiTl  Town.  "^I'lu-y  k-arnccl  lliis  iliiy  iVoin  Jonatlian 
Hampton,  that  Ft'ij^uson  had  retreated  from  (Jilbert  Town  : 
and  also  received  information  tliat  it  was  his  purpose  to 
evade  an  engagement  with  them.* 

In  order  'o  give  a  proper  view  of  tlie  movements  of  the 
opposing  parties,  it  is  now  necessary  to  recur  to  l'\'rguson 
and  his  Tory  folh)wers.  It  will  be  remembered,  that  Fi-rgu- 
son's  troops  made  an  excursion,  during  tiie  month  of  S«pleiii- 
ber,  into  the  Upper  Catawba  Valley,  in  then  IJurke,  now 
McDowell  County  ;  and  that  several  of  the  patriots,  Captain 
John  Carson  among  them,  were  prevailed  on  b\'  tlu'  ^Vilig 
leaders  to  take  protection,  simplv  as  a  ruse  by  which  to 
save  as  much  of  the  slock  of  the  country  as  possible.  Tiie 
scheme  worked  to  a  charm,  not  merely  in  benetiling  the 
Whigs,  but  by  Captain  Carson's  shrewd  management,  it 
produced,  in  the  end,  a  telling  ellect  on  the  few  Tories  of 
that  region.  Ferguson  began  to  suspect  that  Carson  and 
his  frii'iuls  were  deceiving  him,  and  saving  more  cattle  than 
probably  belonged  to  them,  and  resolved  thai  lie  would  nt)t 
be  thus  foiled  by  such  backwooils  diplomacy.  So  he 
fitted  out  a  party  from  camp  to  go  in  quest  of  bee\i's  thus 
attempted  to  be  smuggled  out  of  harm's  way,  and  lav  in  a 
good  supply  of  meat.  Carson  accompanied  the  foraging 
expediticni.  A  large  herd  was  found  roaming  about  the 
extensive  cane-brakes,  where  David  Grei-nlee  since  ri'sided  : 
but  Carson  was  close-moulhetl  about  their  ownershij)  until 
the  Tory  party  had  slaughtered  over  a  hundred  head  of  tine 
young  cattle,  when  he  quietly  observed,  ihat  he  expected 
that  they  were  the  property  of  Joseph  Brown,  Dement,  and 
Johnstone,  who  had  joined  Ferguson,  and  were  then  in  his 
camj-).  These  men  got  wind  of  the  transaction,  made  in- 
quiries, and  ascertained  that  it  was  indeed  their  stock  that 
had  been  so  unceremoniously  appropriated  for  his  Majestv's 
troops.     They  were  not  a  little  chop-fallen  and  disgusted, 

♦General  Joseph  Graham's  narrative;  MS.  correspondence  with  Jonathan  lii^inpton,  Jr. 


>        '-%«?<)(*■;■ 


Ml 


II     i 


n  I 


li 


ii 


1!).S 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


|i 


i! 


ami  tilt!  aHliir  was  soon  noised  abroad,  and  had  quite  a 
dispiriting  elll-ct  upon  the  LoyaHsts  of  the  country.  Fer- 
guson cleclari'd  that  tiie  Rebels  had  out  witteil  him.* 

A  htlle  incident,  worthy  of  rehition,  occurred  while  the 
JJritish  troops  were  encamped  at  i)avidst>n's  place,  since 
Mclntyre's,  two  niiles  wist  of  Captain  Carson's.  A  soldier 
was  tempted  to  kill  a  chicken  and  enjoy  a  savory  meal,  but 
lu-  liappened  to  be  discovered  by  Mrs.  Davidson,  who 
promptly  rejiorled  the  theft  to  I'^ertruson.  The  IJritish 
commauiler  had  tlu-  culi^rit  immediati-h-  punished,  and  tra^e 


pu 


the  good  lady  a  dollar  in  compensation  for  the  loss.f  This 
act  was  certaiidy  creditable  to  Ferguson's  sense  of  justice  ; 
but  it  was,  like  an  oasis  in  the  di'scrt.  a  circumstance  of 
very  unlVequent  occurrence. 

Returning  from  this  excursion,  Ferguson  and  his  Tory 
marauders  campinl  a  while  at  the  Whiti"  Oak  vSpiing.  near 
Brindletown.  Their  camp  was  in  close  proximity  to  the 
lofty  peak  known  in  al'  that  region  "is  Pilot  Mountain,  almost 
isolated  in  the  midst  of  a  comparatively  level  country — 
so  named,  as  tradition  has  it,  from  its  having  been  the  land- 
mark of  the  Indians  in  their  wanderings,  and  the  guide  by 
which  the  Torv  foraging  parties,  in  1780,  directed  tluir 
course  when  returning  iVom  their  plundering  expeditions. 
One  of  these  parties  captured  Robert  Campbell,  too  old  for 
active  service,  while  at  breakfast,  at  his  home  on  Camp 
Creek,  twelve  miles  north-east  of  Rutherfordton,  and  con- 
veyed him  to  the  camp  at   White  Oak  vSpring. 

Reference  has  heretofore  been  made  to  the  light  at 
Cowan's  Ford,  on  -Cane  creek.     One   traditon*  places  die 


*  MS.  narrative  of  Vance  and  McDowell,  preserved  hy  Robert  Henry. 

vMS.  letter  of  Governor  D.  L.  Swain,  nfCliapel  Hill.  North  t'arolina.  Fchrnary  8th. 
1854,  to  General  John  G.  I'.yniini,  on  authority  of  O.  M.  Smith,  of  Asheville.  North  Caro- 
lina, a  grandson  of  ^trs  Davidson,  communicated  hy  Rev.  W.  S.  I'ynuni,  of  Winston, 
Nortli  Carolina. 

}  MS.  correspondence  of  Wm.  I,.  Twitty.  who  derived  the  tradition  from  W'ni.  Mon- 
teith.  and  he  from  Wni.  Watson,  a  worthy  Revolutionary  hero  who  was  in  the  fi«ht,  and 
who  died  in  1S34,  at  the  vunerahle  a^e  of  ninety-five  years.  It  may  l>c  added,  in  this  con- 
nection. th.Tt  old  Wm.  Marshall,  in  his  lifetime  pl.iced  several  lartje  blocks  of  granite  on 
the  spot  where  this  contest  is  said  to  have  taken  placL',  to  identify  the  locality,  and  com- 
memorate the  occurrence.  This  would  go  to  prove,  that  some  Revolutionary  event  must 
have  transpired  at  that  point. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


191) 


locality  of  this  contest  some  throe  miles  above  Cowan's 
Ford,  at  the  oUl  Marshall  place,  now  Jonathan  Walker's,  on 
the  west  branch  of  that  stream.  One  Hemphill  was  killed  ; 
Captain  Josi-ph  White,  Jolm  Criswell,  and  Peter  liranks 
were  wounded  in  this  allair.*  It  was  a  sort  of  drawn 
biAlle,  on  a  small  scale,  neither  party  caring  to  renew  the 
conllict.  Fergnson  and  his  otlicers  seemed  to  prefer  camp- 
ing on  or  near  some  iiill  or  elevation  ;  so  while  prosecnting 
their  retreat,  they  took  post  on  Uio  top  of  a  high  hill  at 
Samuel  Amlrews'  phice,  twelve  miles  north  of  Gilbert 
Town.  Here  the  stock,  poultry,  and  every  thing  they 
could  make  nse  of,  were  unfeelingly  appropriated  ;  while 
the  unfortunate  owner,  Andrews,  and  his  Whig  neighbors, 
had  fled  for  safety  to  the  neighboring  Cane  creek  moun- 
tains.! At  length  the  jaded  troops,  with  their  disabled 
Major,  Dimlap,  reached  their  old  locality  at  Gilbert  Town 
— the  men  encamping  on  Ferguson's  Ilill,  while  Dunlap 
was  conveyed  to  Gilbert's  residence. 

On  tlu;  thirtieth  of  September,*  little  dreaming  of  any 
impending  danger,  Ferguson  was  snddenly  awakened  from 
his  sense  of  security.  The  two  Whig  deserters,  Crawford 
and  Chambers,  arrived  from  the  camp  of  the  mountaineers 
on  the  top  of  the  Yellow  Mountain,  with  the  alarming 
intelligence  of  the  rapid  approach  of  "  the  Back  Water 
men,"  as  Ferguson  termed  them.  He  rightly  judged,  that 
if  his  threats  of  hanging,  lire,  and  sword  had  no  clTect  on 
them,  they  were  coming  with  a  full  determination  to  fight 
him  with  desperation.  He  had  furloughed  man^-  (jf  his 
Tory  followers  to  visit  their  tamilies,  under  promise  of 
rejoining  him  on  short  notice.  He  had  been  tarrying 
longer  than  he  odierwise  would,  in  the  hope  of  intercepting 
Colonel  Clarke,  who  had  laid  siege  to  Augusta,  Georgia, 

*  MS.  pension  statements  of  Captain  James  Withrow  and  Richard  Ballew. 

fMS.  correspondence  of  A.  H.  Long  and  \V.  L.   rwitty. 

IColoncl  Criigers  letter  to  Fergiison,  of  3d  Octolier,  1780,  refers  to  the  latter's  dis- 
patch of  September  lolh,  with  the  alarming  news  of  "  so  considerable  a  force  as  you  under- 
stand is  coming  from  the  mountains.  '•'  '■•  '•'  I  don't  see  how  yon  can  possibly  [defend] 
the  country  and  the  neighborhood  you  are  now  in.  The  game  from  the  mountains  is  just 
what  I  expected." — Ramsey's  Tennesste,  242. 


200 


k'/Au"S  MOUNTAIN 


from  tla-  (burlcotUh  to  the-  .sixtc-rnth  of  Si'pti'inbri-,  and 
NVoulcl  have  I'ompK'ti'ly  siuxi'i'ili'd,  liatl  not  Coloiu'l  L"iui;i'r 
ariivc'il  iVoin  JNiiu-ty  Six  wilii  a  party  ol' ii'licl',  wIk'II  Claikc 
was  conipt'lk'il  to  make  his  \\a\  northwaid,  along'  the  east- 
ern basi'  ol"  till'  nionntains. 

Crugor  promptly  apprisril  lu'rj^nson  of  Clarki-'s  opt^r- 
ations  and  rotirrmcnl.  In  llu'  puisuil,  quilo  a  nnmbcr  ot' 
till'  Whigs  were  taki-n  prisi)ners  by  iIk"  J5iitisli  anil  tlu'ir 
n\)ry  ami  Indian  allies,  and  si-vi-ral  were  sralju'il.  Captain 
Asliby  antl  twebt'  otlu'r  eaplives  were  hangi'd  niuU'r  (he 
eyes  ot  C'olo'iel  Browne,  tlu'  Jjritish  eommandant  ol  Au- 
j^iista,  who  was  t\\  iee  disableil  ilurin;^"  the  ^ei^l•,  and  was 
smartini;"  niuler  the  I'lleet  ol  his  wounds;  thirtei-n  who  weii' 
delivered  to  the  Cheroket's  were  killed  by  the  tomahaw  k, 
or  b\'  tortnri\s,  or  thiow  ii  into  lires.  ^'hirty  altogi'ther  weri> 
put  to  death  by  orders  ol'  the  vindietive  and  inlamous 
Brow  ui'.  Lieutenant  William  Sti'\enson,  one  oi'  Ferj^uson's 
eorps,  in  writing"  frouj  (iilbert  Town,  on  tin-  twi'nty-lilih  ot" 
Seplemln'r,  pi"obabl\  g'a\e  wwK  to  tlu"  |>ii'\aU'nt  I'eelings  of 
Ferguson's  men  when  In-  said,  referring  to  tlu"  |)ursuit  and 
eipture  of  Clarki''s  miMi :  "Several  ol"  whom  tI.eN  iiiiii/r- 
it/iift'/v  /nnii^ri/,  (iiid  //(ixw  (I  i^rnif  nuniv  inert'  vrt  lo  /lan^-. 
ITr  have  iio:i<  i^ot  a  iiirl/ioii  I  hut  ii'ill  mhui  f>/if  uu  cud  to  the 
rchcllioii  ill  a  short  iiiiii\  hv  hiiiii^'iii^'  rz'cry  iiitiii  thiit  has 
taken  prctritidii,  ami  is  foiiiut  acting  aiiiiinst  ks.*"'  I  lang- 
ing  men  ''  iinincitiatc/v"  after  they  were  made  prisoners, 
plainlv  implies  that  no  op|iortiniit}-  was  giwu  to  prove  or 
dis|irove  wiiether  they  had  e\er  taken  proti>etion  or  not. 
liut  this  ]iraetice  of  mwrrZ/V/A'  /i  a  n^iii^- was  simply  carrying 
into  elfeet  Lord  Cornwallis'  inlnunan  ordi-rs  lo  Cruger  and 
Jialfour. 

I"\'rguson  was  quite  as  anxious  to  waylay  the  ri'tiinant 
of  Clarke's  partisans  as  wi'n*  Crugi'r  and  Browne  to  have 
him  ill)  so.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  in  lurloughing  so 
many  of  his  Tory  recruits,  as  ho  had  recently  done,  lo  visit 


♦Alinon's  KemfmbruHier  fur  1781,  xi,  .(80-81. 


4    il 


fia 


f  V 


ii\ 


ANP  /'IS  ///:ro/:s. 


201 


their  homes,  C'oloiu-l  l'\'r^us()ii  may  havi'  hail  in  view  ,  ihal 
the'r  scattered  ioeaUlies  mio-lii  riiahle  llu'in  to  olilain  eaflv 
notiie  of  thi-  approaih  of  CMaiki-'s  fiij^itivi's,  ami  promptly 
api^rise  him  of  it.  Thus  watehin;^'  and  (li'i;i\  inu-  in  oider 
to  e.ntrap  the  ( ieori^ia  patriots,  proved  his  own  spi'i'dy  de- 
struction. When  (he  two  desertiMs  t"i  )m  Se\  iei's  regiment 
hronj^ht  him  imellii^eiRH-  of  his  Ihri-ali^netl  dan^i'r  from  the 
monnlaineers,  he  was  not  slow  to  reali/i'  iiis  sitnation.  lie 
sent  out  e.\|)ri'ssi's  in  all  diri'Clions,  slron^h'  a|ipealiu<4'  to 
the  Royalists  to  liasten  to  his  standard  with  a'l  |->ossihle  ex- 
jii'ilition,  anil  to  lender  him  c\ery  assistance  in  their  power 
in  this  critical  i'mer^enc\ . 

lie  evidently  had  a  triple  ohjecl  in  view  hv  taking'  this 
circuitous  coiU'se.  lie  hoped  still,  peradveiiluie,  to  inter- 
cept Clarke;  lu'  anxiouly  tlesiri'd  to  slii-n^theu  his  own 
force  In  re-inforcenK'nts,  antl  to  tollecl  on  his  ronti'  his  lur- 
loni;heil  South  L^arolina  Loyalists,  and  |irevenl  their  heini; 
cut  up  in  del'.il  ;  ami  he  attemjUed,  moreover,  to  play  oil"  a 
piece  ol"  str.itei;v,  which,  il  successful,  would  relieve  him 
ot"  the  danj^er  of  too  close  a  pro.ximily  to  those  swarminnf 
mountaineers — liy  misleading-  tiiein  as  to  the  ohji;cti\e  point 
t)f  his  retreat,  and  thus  iiululi;in;;'  the  hope  that  they  miuht 
make  a  dash,  by  the  nearest  routi',  to  inteiccpl  him  before 
his  expected  arrival  at  Ninety  vSi\.  Had  I'V-rguson,  with 
his  three  or  loin-  davs'  start,  taken  the  most  direct  easterly 
course  to  C'harlotte,  he  could  easil\'  ha\e  accom|ilisheil  his 
purpose,  as  il  wasonh'  some  si.\t\  miles  distant  in  a  straight 
line,  and  could  not  ha\e  exceeiled  ei';hty  by  the  then  /i^-zauj 
routes  of  travel. 

Leavinjif  Gilbert  Town  on  the  twenty-sewnlh  ol' 
September,  Fer«^uson  moved  to  tliv  (ireen  liver  rei^iou 
in  ijuest  ol'  Clarke.  Three  days  later,  while  in  camp 
at  James  Step's  phue,  reci'ivinj^  the  alarmiui;  iiUelli- 
<;ence  of  the  rapid  approach  ot"  the  Back  Water  men,  in 
strong-  force,  he  promptly  notilied  Lord  Cornwallis  ol"  his 
tlan^er,  ami  of  the  conseijuent  necessity  ol"  his   hasteninj/ 


202 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


'  If  I 


:ii' 


<>    U-\ 


towards  his  Lordship's  head-quarters  ;  and  probably  hinting 
that  a  re-inforcenient  or  escort  adequate  to  tlie  orcasion, 
would  pro\e  a  most  opportune  occiu'rence.  This  dispatch 
was  contided  to  Abram  Collins  and  Peter  Qiiinn,  who 
resided  on  the  borders  of  the  two  Carolinas,  and  were  well 
acquainted  with  the  route.  I  lis  injunctions  to  them  were  to 
make  the  utmost  expedition,  and  deliver  the  letter  as  soon 
as  possible.  They  took  the  most  direct  course,  crossing 
Second  Broad  ri\'er  at  Webb's  Ford  ;  thence  by  way  of 
what  is  now  Mooresboro  to  First  Broad  ri\er  at  Stice's 
Shoal ;  and  thence  on  to  Collins'  Mill  on  Butfalo,  when 
they  bore  south-east  to  King's  Mountain.  Proceeding  on 
to  Alexander  Henry's,  a  good  Whig,  they  disguised  their 
true  character  and  mission,  and  there  obtained  refresh- 
ments. Immediately  renewing  their  journey,  with  undue 
haste,  excited  the  suspicions  of  Mr.  Henry's  family,  that 
the\-  were  engaged  in  some  mischief  boding  no  good  to  the 
public  weliare.  Mr.  Henry's  sons,  inspired  by  a  patriotic 
feeling,  proposed  to  follow  and  apprehend  them  ;  and  pur- 
sued so  closely  on  their  trail,  that  the  miscreants  got  wind 
of  it  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Bethel  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  secreted  themselves  by  day,  and  tra\eled 
stealthih-  by  night,  crossing  the  Catawba  at  Mason's  P'erry. 
Thus  was  the  dispatch  dela3ed,  so  that  it  did  not  reach 
Cornwallis  till  the  morning  of  the  seventh  of  October— the 
day  of  Ferguson's  final  overthrow.*  These  details  are 
interestinir  as  showin*;  the  cause  of  Cornwallis'  failure  to 
re-inforce  Ferguson  in  his  time  of  peril  and  need. 

In  addition  to  this  dispatch  to  Lord  Cornwallis  for  suc- 
cor, Ferguson  also  wrote  on  the  thirtieth  of  September  to 


*CJcneral  Joseph  Ornliam's  Kind's  Mountain  narrative  gives  this  statement  in  hrief; 
many  of  the  particulars  were  fiirnisliei!  fur  this  work  hy  Colonel  J.  R.  T  ogan,  of  Cleveland 
County.  North  Carolina.  "Collins,"  adds  Colonel  I.ogan,  "  after  the  war.  entered  very  valu- 
able lands  on  Buffalo  Creek  in  this  County.  He  was  often  in  jeopardy  on  account  of  his  noto- 
rious connterfeitinK  practices,  and  frequently  in  jail  ;  but  always  had  friends  enough  to 
help  him  out.  He  died  in  poverty  near  Stice's  Shoal  on  First  Broad  rivtr.  Peter  Quinn 
led  a  worthier  life,  and  became  the  proiienitor  of  very  numerous  descendants— some  of 
them,  in  this  County,  and  in  the  West,  highly  respectable  people." 


nw 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


203 


Colonel  Criigor,  commandiiijr  at  Ninety  Six,  callint^  for  a 
large  militia  re-inforcement — how  large  is  not  stated,  but 
several  regiments  ;  when  Cruger  replied  that  there  were  only 
half  that  number*  all  told.  And  as  a  riisCy  Ferguson  gave 
out  word,  that  he  was  iioinji  to  Ninety  Six,  and  to  give  coun- 
tenance  to  the  deception,  started  in  that  direction,  making 
quite  a  detour  southwardly  from  a  direct  course  to  Charlotte. 
The  fond  hope  of  capturing  Clarke  and  his  intrepid  fol- 
owers  was,  it  would  seem,  almost  an  infatuation  widi 
Fer<rus(;n.  lie  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  leaving  the 
country  without  accomplishing  this  important  object,  if  it 
were  possible  to  do  so.  He  had  his  scouts  oat  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  mountains,  and  was  vigilant  in  seeking  information 
from  the  quarter  where  Clarke  was  supposed  to  be  directing 
his  course.  On  ^Sunday,  the  lirst  of  October,  while  beating 
about  the  country,  he  visited  Baylis  Earlc's,  on  North 
Pacolet,  a  dozen  miles  south-west  of  Denard's  Ford. 
Captain  William  Green  and  his  company  made  up  a  part  of 
this  force ;  and  while  at  I'^arle's,  they  killed  a  steer, 
destroyed  four  or  five  hundred  dozen  sheaves  of  oats,  and 
plundered  at  their  pleasure,  f  They  then  marched  to 
Denard's  Ford,+  making  their  camp  there  for  the  night. 
While  at  this  Ford,  the  old  crossing  of  Broad  river,  half  a 
mile  below  the  present  Twitt3''s  Ford,  and  sofne  eight  miles 
from  Gilbert  Town,  Ferguson  issued  the  following  energetic 
appeal — apparently  almost  a  wail  of  despair — addressed 
"  to  the  inhabitants  of  North  Carolina,"  and,  doubtless, 
similar  ones  to  the  Loyalists  of  SouUi  Carolina  also : 

"'  Ramsey's  Tennessee,  242. 

f  MS.  letter  of  Hiylis  I'.arle,  Septemljer  nth,  1814,  to  Mnjur  John  Lewis  and  Jonathan 


Hampton,  cc 


iiicateil  by  Hon.  W.  P.  liyniim. 


J  MS.  letters  of  Hon.  W.  J,  T.  Miller,  Dr.  J.  B.  rwitty,  W.  L.  Twitty,  \.  Y>.  K.  Miller, 
.Tnd  Colonel  J.  R.  Logan  fi.\  the  locality  of  Denard's  Ford  as  wciirthc  present  Twitty's 
Ford  ;  and  the  venerable  Samuel  Twitty,  a  colored  man,  now  eighty-six  years  old,  and 
raised  in  that  neighborhood,  says  the  old  ford,  half  a  mile  below  the  present  Twitty's 
Ford  and  under  a  large  oak  tree  that  long  stood  there,  was  often  pointed  cut  to  him  in  hiii 
boyhood  as  Ferguson's  crossing  place.  The  MS.  McDowell-Vance  narrative  says  Ferguson 
crossed  at  Twitty's  Ford,  which  practically  conlirins  these  traditions.  The  I'lrginia 
Gazette  and  the  old  land  records  of  Rutherford  County  determine  the  orthography  of  the 
name  Denard,  instead  of  Donard,  as  Wheeler  has  it  in  his  History  0/  Xortli  Cuiolina. 
Allaire's  Vi'iiy  also  confirms  this  mode  of  spelling  the  name. 


204 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


"  DenarcVs  Ford,  Broad  River, 

Tryon  County,  October  i,  1780. 

"  Gendcmen  : — Unless  you  wish  to  be  eat  up  by  an  in- 
undation of  barbarians,  who  have  begun  by  murdering-  an 
unarmed  son  before  the  aged  latiier,  and  afterwards  lopped 
ofThis  arms,  and  who  by  their  shocking  crueldes  and  irregu- 
larities, give  the  best  proof  of  their  cowardice  and  want  of 
discipline;  I  say,  if  you  wish  to  be  pinioned,  robbed,  and 
murdered,  and  .^ce  your  wives  and  daughters,  in  four  days, 
abused  by  the  dregs  of  mankind — in  short,  if  you  wish  or 
deserve  to  live,  and  be;'r  the  name  of  men,  grasp  your 
arms  in  a  moment  and  run  to  camp, 

"The  Back  Water  men  have  crossed  the  mountains; 

McDowell,  Hampton,  Shelby,  and  Cleveland  are  at  their 

head,  so  that  3'ou  know  what  you  have  to  depend  upon. 

If  you   choose   to   be  degraded   forever   and   ever    by    a 

set  of  mongrels,  say  so  at  once,  and  let  your  women  turn 

their  backs  upon  you,  and  look  out  for  real  men  to  protect 

them. 

"Pat.  Fjjrguson,  Major  71st  Regiment. '"  * 


II 


An  amusing  incident  occurred  in  this  neighborhood.  The 
British  had  captured  Andrew  Miller,  and  were  conveying 
him  along  with  them.  Lewis  Musick,  who  had  just  returned 
from  the  unfortunate  attack  on  Augusta,  joined  Anthony 
Twitty,  an  elder  brother  of  the  William  Twitty  who  con- 
ducted himself  so  bravely  in  tlie  defence  of  Graham's  Fort, 
as  formerly  related  ;  and  being  well  mounted,  they  conclu- 
ded to  take  a  scout,  and  see  what  discoveries  thev  could 
make.  Coming  to  the  main  road,  it  seemed  to  them  as 
though  the  whole  line  of  travel  for  more  than  a  mile  was 
alive  with  Red  Coats,  Ferguson  and  his  dragoons  among 


•■■"  I'irginia  Gazette,  November  ii,  1780;  Wheeler's  Xorth  Ccralinn,  ii,  103;  Ramsey's 
Tennessee,  253.  It  is  exceedingly  climl)tfiil  if  any  sm  !i  Ijarbari'ies  were  perpetrateil  upon 
tlie  Tories  as  Ferguson's  proclamation  asserts.  It  must  have  been  a  figment  of  the  imagi' 
nation,  invented  for  effect. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


205 


them.  The  "Whig  scouts  had  a  good  view  of  tlicm,  and  as 
they  passed  David  Miller's  place,  one  of  the  enemy  and  a 
negro  remained  behind,  the  latter  going  to  the  spring 
to  catch  his  horse.  The  soldier  —  or  Red  Coat,  as 
Twitty  preferred  to  call  him  —  proved  to  be  Ferguson's 
cook  ;  and,  it  seems,  was  completing  the  preparation  of 
a  savory  meal,  to  take  along  for  the  Colonel's  breakfast, 
who  had  been  too  busy  in  getting  his  troops  started  to  enjoy 
his  morning's  repast.  Twitty  and  Musick  retired  behind  a 
field,  where  the}'  hitched  their  horses  in  some  bushes,  de- 
termined to  get  ahead  of  the  two  loiterers  and  capture  them. 
Beside  the  road,  there  was  a  fallen  tree,  the  top  of  which 
was  yet  thickl}'  covered  with  leaves,  where  they  secreted 
themselves,  awaiting  the  advance  oi  the  supposed  oflicer 
and  his  servant.  The  negro,  in  about  fifteen  minutes,  came 
dashing  along  some  fift)^  yards  in  front.  Twitty  was  to 
rush  out  and  take  the  negro,  while  INIusick  was  to  prevent 
the  Red  Coat  in  the  rear  from  shooting  him  ;  and  the  colored 
fellow  was  seized  so  suddenly  that  he  made  no  defei.ce. 
Musick  demanded  the  Red  Coat  to  surrender,  who  seeming 
unwilling  to  do  so,  Twitty  leveled  his  gun  at  him,  with  a 
severe  threat  if  he  did  not  instantly  obey.  At  this  moment 
the  negro  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  escaped. 

But  the  white  captive  was  dismounted,  antl  hurried  oft' 
half  a  mile  or  more,  and  talking  loudly  by  the  way,  as  if  to 
attract  the  attention  of  pursuers,  he  was  plainly  admonished 
that  another  utterance  would  forfeit  his  life.  After  that,  he 
was  quiet  enough.  Once  out  of  danger  of  being  overtaken, 
the  Whig  scouts  examined  their  prisoner,  and  ascertained 
that  he  was  Ferguson's  cook — not  so  much  of  a  dignitary, 
after  all,  as  diey  had  supposed,  and  learned  that  Ferguson 
was  then  on  the  lookout  to  intercept  Colonel  Clarke  and  his 
men  on  their  retreat  from  August:i.  Twitty  and  his  com- 
panion paroled  the  soldier-cook,  retaining  the  captured  meal, 
which  they  appropriated  to  their  own  use,  and  Ferguson  lost 
his  breakfast. 


206 


KING 'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


Bofote  releasing  their  prir.oner,  however,  the  Whig 
scouts  found  means  to  pen  a  hurried  note  to  Ferguson,  in- 
forming liim,  that  when  they  ascertained  tliat  the  person 
they  had  taken  was  Iiis  cook,  tliey  conchided  that  the  British 
conunander  could  not  well  dispense  with  so  important  a 
personage,  and  fheu  accordingly  sent  him  back,  trusting 
that  he  would  restore  him  to  his  butlcrship.  Overtaking 
the  Colonel,  the  cook  delivered  the  note,  cursing  his  eyes 
if  he  had  not  been  taken  prisoner  by  a  couple  of  Rebel 
buggers,  as  he  termed  them,  and  proceeded  to  curse  and 
denounce  them  at  a  terrible  rate.  Ferguson  quietly  re- 
strained his  temper,  and  told  him  he  was  wrong  to  speak  of 
them  so  harshly,  as  the}'  had  used  him  well,  and  permitted 
him  to  return  after  a  ver^-  brief  captivity.  Thus  Andrew 
Miller,  who  was  present,  subsequently  reported  the  inter- 


view.^ 

From  Denard's  Ford,  Ferguson  and  his  troops,  accord- 
ing to  Allaire's  Diary,  marched  on  Monday  afternoon,  the 
second,  only  four  miles,  where  the}'  formed  a  line  of 
action,  and  lay  on  their  arms  all  niglit.  But  the  enemy  they 
so  coniklently  expected,  did  not  make  their  appearance. 
Much  precious  time  was  thus  spent  to  no  purpose.  All 
this,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  indicate  in- 
decision ;  but  the  British  commander,  it  seems,  still  lingered, 
hoping  to  intercept  Clarke  and  his  Georgia  patriots,  and 
delayed  for  the  return  of  his  men  whom  he  had  furloughed 
to  visit  their  families,  and  the  hoped-for  militia  from  the 
region  of  Ninety  Six,  and,  after  crossing  Broad  river  at 
Denard's,  purposely  bore  off  to  the  left,  instead  of  continu- 
ing on  the  direct  road  south  to  Green  river  en  route  for 
either  Cowpens  or  Ninety  Six,  hoping  thereby  to  elude  the 
vi'dlance  of  the  Back  Water  men. 


*MS.  narrative  of  Anthony  Twitty,  written  in  September,  1832;  MS.  letters  of  Drs.  T. 
ri.  and  W.  L.  Twitty.  on  authority  of  Mrs.  Jane  Toms  ind  others.  Twitty  was  born  in 
Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  November  29th,  1745,  and  was  much  engaged  ir  scouting 
service  during  the  Revolution.  Judge  W.  P.  Bynuni,  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  kindly 
communicated  Twitty's  .MS.  narrative. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


207 


It  is  possibli*,  moreover,  tliat  Ferguson  niiglit  have  felt  the 
necessity  of  feeling  his  wa}'  cautiously  out  of  his  dilliculties  ; 
that  while  evading  the  mountaineers  on  the  one  hand,  he 
should  not  run  recklessly  into  other  dangers,  "SS  might  be 
equally  as  formidable ;  for  Lord  Cornwallis  had,  on  the 
twenty-third  of  September,  apprised  him  that  Colonel 
Davie's  part}' of  Whig  cavalry  had  marched  against  him, 
which  Ferguson's  apprehensions,  and  Tory  fears,  may  have 
maguilied  into  a  much  larger  body  than  eighty  dragocms. 
Notliing,  however,  was  gained  b\'  these  tardy  operations ; 
and,  in  these  fruitless  efibrts  at  strategy,  Ferguson,  luul  he 
realized  it,  might  ha\e  exclaimed,  with  the  Roman  digni- 
tary, "I  have  lost  a  day!"  For  he  could  have  marched 
from  Denard's  Ford  to  the  neighborhood  north  of  Cowpens 
from  sunrise  to  sunset,  instead  of  consuming  two  days  in  its 
accomplishment. 

Allaire's  Diary  informs  us,  that  on  the  third,  Ferguson 
marched  six  miles  to  Camp's  Ford  of  Second  Broad  river, 
thence  six  farther  to  Armstrong's,  on  Sandy  Run,  where  the 
troops  refreshed  ;  then,  as  they  reckoned  distance,  pushed 
on  seven  miles  to  Buffalo  creek,  a  mile  beyond  whicii  they 
reached  Tate's  plantation — making  twenty  miles  this  da}', 
the  route  being  north  of  main  Broad  river.  At  Tate's, 
Ferguson  tarried  two  full  days,  probably  awaiting  in- 
telligence as  to  the  movements  of  the  Whigs,  which  he 
doubtless  received  on  the  evening  of  the  fifth,  lor  the  army 
renewed  its  march  at  four  o'clock  on  Friday  morning,  the 
sixth.  During  this  day  Colonel  Ferguson  sent  the  following 
dispatch  to  Lord  Cornwallis,  without  date  ;  but  the  con- 
nectinj;  facts  fix  the  time  as  here  indicated : 

"My  Lord  : — A  doubt  does  not  remain  with  regard  to 
the  intelligence  T  sent  your  I>ordsliip.  They  are  since 
joined  bv  Clarke  and  Sumter  * — of  course  are  become  an 


*A  smnll  squall  of  Clarke's  men  did.  alioiit  tliis  time,  join  the  mountain  men;  and  Sum- 
ter's force,  under  Colonel  I.acey.  soon  after  effected  ajiinction.  Ferguson,  probably  from 
his  spies  and  scouts,  learned  of  those  parties  and  their  intentions. 


208 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


\\ 


object  of  some  consequence.  Happily  their  leaders  are 
obliged  to  leed  their  followers  -widi  such  hopes,  and  so  to 
flatter  them  with  accounts  of  our  weakness  and  fear,  that, 
if  necessary,  I  should  hope  for  success  against  them  myself; 
but  numbers  compared,  that  must  be  but  doubtful. 

"1  am  on  m\'  march  towards  you,  by  a  road  leading 
from  Cherokee  Ford,  north  of  King's  Mountain.  Three 
or  four  hundred  good  soldiers,  part  dragoons,  would  finish 
the  business.  Soviet  king  must  be  done  soon.  This  is  their 
last  push  in  this  quarter,  etc. 

"Patrick  Ferguson."* 

It  is  evident  from  this  di;f{-)atch,  that  Ferguson,  when 
penning  it,  had  no  other  design  than  to  march  resoluleh- 
forward  and  join  his  Lordship  at  Cliarlotte.  Had  he  then 
in  contemplation  the  taking  post  on  King's  Mountain,  and 
there  awaiting  succor,  and  there  deciding  the  mastery  with 
his  tireless  pursuers,  he  would  likely  have  indicated  it  in 
his  letter.  So  he  simply  said  :  "  I  am  on  my  march  towards 
you,  by  a  road  leading  north  of  King's  Mountain;"  and, 
at  the  same  time,  taciUy  plead  for  a  rc-inforccment,  appar- 
ently aware  by  this  time,  that  tlfbugh  he  had  succeeded  in 
his  strategic  etlbrt  to  throw  the  Back  Water  men  off  his 
trail,  they  were  yet  doggedly  pursuing  him. 

Lieutenant  Allaire  says  it  was  sixteen  miles  from  Tate's 
place  to  "Little  King's  Mountain."  Ferguson  marched 
up  the  old  Cherokee  Fcrr}-  road,  between  the  waters  of 
Buffalo  and  King's  creeks,  crossing  the  western  branch  of 
this  latter  stream  where  Whisnant's  mill  is  now  situated  ; 
thence  on  the  old  Qiiarry  road  to  main  King's  creek  ;  and 
soon  after  crossing  which,  he  bore  off  to  King's  Mountain. 
Or,  as  Reverend  Robert  Lathan  describes  it,  Ferguson 
"pushed  on  up  the  ridge  road  between  King's  and  Buflalo 
creeks,  until  he  came  to  the  forks,  near  Whitaker's  Station, 
on  the  present  Air-Line  railroad.  There  he  took  the  right 
prong,  leading  across  King's  creek,  through  a  pass  in  the 


, 


♦Almon's  Remembrancer  {oi  1781,  xi,  280;  Tarleton's  CamfiaisHS,  quarto  edition,  193. 


X 

Cm 

o 

'A 

y, 

M 
*!^ 
U 
>'. 

Lj 
O 


i-i 
o 


u 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


209 


mountain,  and  on  in  the  direction  of  Yorkville.  Here,  a  short 
(lislanie  after  crossing  the  creek,  on  liie  ri^ht  of  tiie  road, 
about  two  hundred  and  lil'ty  ^ards  from  the  pass,"'*  he  canie 
to  King's  Mountain.  Ferguson's  dispatch  to  Cornwallis, 
ah-eady  cited,  and  written  during  the  day  before  the  battle, 
shows  conclusively,  that  this  mountain  bore  its  prefix  of 
'•King's"  at  that  time,f  antl  that  its  subsequent  occupancy 
by  the  King's  troops  had  nothing  to  do  in  giving  to  it  this 
appellation. 

That  portion  of  it  where  the  action  was  fought,  has  little 
or  no  claim  to  the  distinction  of  a  mountain.  The  King's 
Mountain  range  is  about  sixteen  miles  in  length,  extending 
generally  from  the  north-east,  in  North  Carolina,  in  a  south- 
westerly course,  sending  out  lateral  spurs  in  various  direc- 
tions. The  principal  elevation  in  this  range,  a  sort  of  lofty, 
rocky  tower,  called  77/6*  Pinnacle.,  is  some  six  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  battle  ground.  That  portion  of  the  oblong 
hill  or  stony  ridge,  now  historically  famous,  is  in  York 
Count}',  South  Carolina,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of 
the  North  Carolina  line.  It  is  some  six  hundred  ^ards  long, 
and  about  two  hundred  and  fift}'  from  one  base  across  tt)  the 
other;  or  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  wide  on 
the  top,  tapering  to  the  South — '-so  narrow,"  says  Mills' 
Statistics.,  "that  a  man  standing  on  it  may  be  shot  from 
either  side."  Its  summit  was  some  sixty  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  surrounding  tountry. 

Ferguson's  observing  eye  was  attracted  to  this  com- 
manding eminence ;  and  regarding  it  as  a  fit  camping 
place,  he  concluded  to  tarry  there.  This  was  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  sixth  of  October.  lie  apparently  awaited  the 
expected  return  of  furloughed  parties  of  Loyalists  under 
Major  Gibbs  and  others  ;  and  he  fondly  hoped,  too,  to  be 
soon  re-inforced  by  Tarleton,  and  the  militia  from  the  dis- 

*  Pamphlet    Historical  Sketch  of  tht   Battle  of  King's    Afoiinfu'ii.   Yorkville,   South 
Carolina,  1880. 

t  "  It  timk  its  name  "  says  Moultrie's  Mnuoiys.  "  from  one  Kini;.  who  lived  at  the  foof 
of  the  mount  with  his  family."      I'he  name  of  King's  Creek  had  also  the  same  origin. 
14 


'.\;- 


;i 


^10 


a'Jjvg's  mountain 


mm 


trict  of  Niiu'ty  Six.  Rejoined  by  his  Loyalist  forces,  and 
strengthened  by  ri'-inlbrcenienls,  lie  no  doiil)!  IhiUered 
hiinseh'  with  j^ainin^r  a  crushinjf  victory  over  the  liack 
Water  men,  whom  he  never  tailed  to  belittle,  and  wlioni 
he  heartily  ilespiseil.  lie  had  tor  monlh.s  iinlirin<;l\- 
tlrilled  the  men  under  his  banner  ;  his  detachments  under 
Patrick  Moore,  Inncs  and  Dunlaj),  had  met  with 
repeated  disasters,  which  he  anxiously  desired  a  suit- 
able opportunity  to  retrieve  betoie  joining;  his  Tvordship 
at  Charlotti'.  He  pridi'd  himselt"  in  his  skill  in  tlu-  use  ol" 
lire-arms,  and  his  success  in  inspiring'  others  with  st)methin<r 
of  his  own  feelings  of  invincibility  ;  and,  above  all  things, 
he  coveted  a  fitting  occasit)n  to  put  to  the  test  his  long  and 
patiently  drilled  Loyalists,  as  soon  as  he  could  do  so  with 
a  reasonable  hope  of  success.  This  hope  he  saw  in 
the  expected  "three  or  four  hundred  gocul  soldiers — part 
dragoons" — hinting,  doubtless,  at  Tarleton's  Legion  cav- 
alry,' even  if  the  expected  militia  shoukl  fail  him  ;  when  he 
could,  in  his  own  estimation,  do  up  the  business  lor  the 
daring  Back  Water  men,  and  extricate  himself  from  his 
impending  danger.  Cherishing  such  hopes,  he  thought  it 
imwise  to  retire  too  precipitatelv  to  Charlotte.  Such  a 
retreat  might  betray  signs  of  fear — suggesting,  perhaps, 
that  he  shirked  the  opportunity  he  had  long  pretended  to 
court,  and  he  might  thereby  lose  the  chance  of  a  life-time 
of  disdniruishinij  himself  on  the  iflorious  field  of  Mars,  and 
winning  undying  honors  and  fame  from  his  King  and 
country.  These  visions  of  glory  were  too  tempting,  and  he 
yielded  to  their  si'ductive  inlluences.  "The  siiuation  of 
King's  Mountain,"  said  Arthur  McFall,  one  of  his  Loyalist 
followers,  "was  so  pleasing  that  he  concluded  to  take  post 
there,  stoudy  affirming  that  he  would  be  able  to  destroy  or 
capture  any  force  the  Whigs  could  bring  against  him."*  '•  So 
contident,"  says  Shelby,  "  was  Ferguson  in  the  strength  of 
his  position,  that  he  declared  that  the  Almighty  could  not 

<'MS.  letter  of  \Vm.  A.  McCall,  to  wlioni  McFall  made  the  statement, 


AND  ITS  HEROES, 


211 


drive  him  from  it."  *  Tin-  McDowcll-Vaiici'  narrative 
states,  that  Fertriison  declareil,  that  "he  was  on  Kiii'^'s 
iM(»iiiitaiii,  that  hf  was  kiiijf  of  that  nioimtaiii,  and  (»od 
Ahiiighty  coukl  not  drive  him  from  it."  This  impious 
boast  was  tlouhtless  made  to  encourage  Ids  confiding  fol- 
lowers. 

'Inhere  was  a  spring  on  the  nortli-west  si(U'  of  the  moun- 
tain, one  of  l!ie  sources  of  Chu'lv's  Fork  of  IJulloek's  creek, 
from  winch  a  needful  supply  of  water  coukl  he  obtained, 
though  not  verv  convenient:  but  tlie  countrv,  wild  as  it 
then  was,  was  unable  to  furnish  anvthing  like  the  necessarv 
amount  of  provisions  requisite'  for  such  a  body  of  mi'n.  It 
was  a  stony  spot,  where  lines  coukl  not  easily  be  thrown 
up;  there  was,  however,  an  abundance  of  wood  on  tlu'  hill 
with  which  to  form  abatis,  and  defend  his  camp  ;  but  Fergu- 
son took  none  of  these  ordinary  military  precautions,  anil 
only  placed  his  baggage-wagons  along  the  north-eastern 
part  of  the  mountain,  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  heail- 
quarters,  so  as  to  form  some  slight  apjiearance  of  protection. 
And  thus  he  remaiiuul  j^uarly  a  whole  dav,  ami  as  Mills 
states,  "inactive  and  exposed,"!  iiwaiting  the  return  of  his 
furloughed  men,  and  the  expected  succors  ;  but  these  anx- 


♦iSheUiy's  narrative  in  Aiin-ricnn  RfT'ietv.  Dcccmhcr  iS.(8.  rorrr>hor:itef1  hvTndrt's  mpitl- 
oir  iif  Shelby  ;  Colonel  Hill's  MS.  statement;  MS.  notes  nf  conversations  with  James 
Sevitr  and  John  Spelts,  hoth  Kind's  Mountain  men    and  (ieneral  Lenoir's  narrative. 

Since  this  chapter  was  put  in  type,  Ceorge  U  Moore,  I.I..  I).,  of  the  Lenox  Library,  has 
called  the  authors  attention  to,  and  kindly  loaned  him  .-»  copy  of  a  rare,  if  not  hitherto  un- 
known pamphlet,  lliognifiliicil  SK\-I.h,  or  .Uemoir  of  Ucitteiiixiit  Coloiu-l  Patrick  Ferguson, 
hy  Ai/aiit  /•'■■rgnson,  LL  D.,  EdinburRh.  1817,  in  which  this  paragraph,  relative  to  Colt.nel 
rerguson's  retreat  occurs:  ••  He  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Lord  fornwallis.  to  inform  his 
Lordship  of  what  had  passed,— of  the  enemies  he  had  to  deal  with,— of  the  route  lie  had 
taken  to  avoid  them  ;  earnestly  c.vpressinc  liis  wish,  that  hr  mi'.'ht  h*-  enalleil  to  cover  a 
country  in  which  there  were  so  many  well  afforted  inhabitants;  addinulhat  for  this  purpose, 
he  shoul  I  halt  at  King's  Mountain  liopinq  that  he  might  he  ther^-  supported  by  a  detach, 
ment  from  his  Lordship,  and  saved  the  necessity  of  anv  further  retreat.  This  letter  having 
been  intercepted,  gave  notice  to  the  enemy  of  the  place  where  Ferguson  was  to  be  foi'nd  : 
and  though  a  duplicate  s.-nl  oti  the  following  day  was  received  by  I-ord  Cornwallis,  it  cauw 
toolate  to  prevent  the  disaster  which  followed." 

If  such  a  dispatch  was  sent  to  Lord  Cornwallis,  it  must  have  been  written  .iftcr 
Ferguson  had  arrived  at  King's  Mountain,  and  concluded  to  take  post  there.  Certain  it  is, 
that  Ferguson  sent  several  dispatches  to  Lord  Cornwallis  after  he  commenced  hi>  retreat 
from  (Gilbert  'rown,  the  burthen  of  which  evidently  was  to  express  his  great  anxiety  for  a 
re-inforcemcnt. 

T  Statistics  0/  South   Carcliiia,  i8,:6.  p.  778. 


\ 


tm 


212 


A'/A'G'S  MOUNTAIN 


ions  hopes  were  dooim-d  to  bittrr  tlisappoiiitnu'iil.  Iiistoad 
oftlu'  coveted  le-inlorci'inents,  as  the  sihiiu'I  will  show,  eanie 
the  lialcd  Haek  Watt-r  men,  worse,  it"  possibK-.  than  were 
the  MeeklenbiiriL,f  iioiiu-ts  to  L'ornwallis  and  iiis  army. 

His  inl'atnation  tor  militarv  ji^lorv  is  the  (>nl\  explanation 
that  can  hi'  given  lor  I't-rj^uson's  conduct  in  iinyerin/.;-  at 
King's  Mountain.  When  he  left  (Jrein  river,  he  knew 
full  wi'U  thai  till'  mountaineers,  in  strong  force,  were  jiress- 
ing  hard  upon  him,  and  he  marched  tow  uds  L'harlotte, 
hut  not  expeditiously,  lie  knew,  too,  inat  the  IJack 
Water  men  had,  by  their  various  unions,  become  "  ol'  some 
consequence,"  as  he  frankly  admilled  in  his  dispatch  to 
Lord  (.'<" mvallis.  Concluding,  therefore,  thai  "something 
nuist  b>  lone,"  as  he  expressed  it,  to  check  (he  onward 
progress  ol  the  mountain  men  that  this  was  "  liieii-  last 
push  in  this  ipiarter,"  he  was  not  slow  in  properlv  isti- 
mating  tiie  strength  and  prowess  of  his  enemy  ;  and 
keetilv  reali/ed  iiis  pressing  need  for  "three  or  four 
hundred  good  soldiers,"  if  he  ho|H'd  to  meet  and  van- 
(piish  the  coming  horde  of  Hack  Water  "barbarians." 
The  possible  failure  of  his  l^ordship  to  receive  his  dis- 
patches, seems  not  to  have  entered  into  lu'rguson's  calcula- 
tions:  and  he  did  not  fully  realize  the  dangers  besetting 
him— the  meshes  with  which  the  patiiots  were  preparing  to 
entrap  him.  He  knew,  indeed,  that  "the  Campbells  were 
coming;"  but  the  haughty  Scotsman  relied  this  time  loo 
much  >n  the  pluck  and  luck  which  had  hitherto  attended 
him.  In  his  own  expressive  language,  a  direful  "  inunda- 
tion "  was  impending.  Unprepared,  as  he  was,  to  meet  it, 
ordinary  militarv  prudence  would  have  dictated  that  he 
should  make  good  his  retreat  to  Charlotte  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay.  Within  some  thirty-live  iiiles  of  his  Lord- 
ship's camp,  he  could  easily  have  accomplished  the  dis- 
tance in  a  few  hours :  yet  he  lingered  two  days  at  Tate's, 
and  one  on  King's  Mountain,  ileluded  with  the  hope  of 
trainin<f  undvinir  laurels,  when  I'ate,  the  lickle  goddess,  had 
onlv  in  store  for  him  ilefeat,  disaster,  and  death. 


1 


AM)  ITS  ///:a'i)/:s. 


21:? 


CIIArTKR    XI 


October,  I780. 


ritK-rtiiiiity  i]f  /'rriiiison' s  Roufr  of  Nr/irdf. — A  siitit//  l\ufy  of  (!<o>\i;iiVis 
join  till-  Mounlniii  Mm.-  -U7/(i;  f'riiw  (<7'rr  r\//>//<t/ii/.-  /\',/>i»/  <>!  ,t 
ptitt  tot  Spy  from  IVy^iisoii' s  i'liiiif.  Williaiiis  attrmpt  to  Mi\l(,t<t 
till-  Mountoinrois.  -I.iuiy  sris  tliiii  /\i\i;/it.      Thr  Soutli  (  ',i/(>//)i/<ni.\' 


txaliiititt  oj  Williams.-'  Silii  tiny,    tin- Jittrst  Mi 
pumir  J-c/xitaoii.-.hii.'iil  tit  tiio  (  owprns. 


II  lit  (.irriii  riror  to 
III'  'lorv,  Soiiiiili  IS 


-/lis  ii^ 


iioiiiiiir  o 


•}f  Juii^iiioii,  /lis  lii 


iiiiii  /lis   (oni.     Stoi  V  of' 


h'lrr,  t/ir  iiipplr  Spy.-  ililiiicr,  t/ir  iiiiiniiit;-  Si  out,  itiipiiii^  tlir 
'lorirs.-  -'//ir  i'oic/uiis  i  otiiuil,  fiii  t/iir  srlirtioii  of  Put  suns,  it  iid 
t/icir  iXuiiiliir. — .V/j,'///  Afitn  /i  to  ( '/inoker  /•'on/. — Stmyiiii;  of  ( 'iuii/>- 
i>i//'s  Mill. —  (ifcuntilli'ss  I-Viirs  of  iiii  Amhusnuti-. —  (rossiiit^  of 
liiviid  ri:'ir.-.'<tormy  '/iiiic  —  fiii/ii/  (  onttitioii  of  Moii  unit  //oi srs. 


—  'lorv   liijoi iihitioii.       {.'lilmn's  .\iiviiiluii 


/Villi  of  .Ittihkiiii. 


/•'iij^iisoii.  ( 'o/oiii'l  (,'iit/iiim  /\'itiiYS.  (  liionii  lo  iissiyjiril  (  omiiiiii/il 
of  t/ir  I.iiuolii  Mill.  ]'ouiii;  /'oiii/if  '/ii/'iii.-J'i'i'^usoii's  />iyss. — 
J'/rssiiiy  toH'iVil'i  t/ii-  /-.iiiiiiy's  (  niiip. 

Leaviii}^  lUT^iisoii,  lor  the  lime  li'-iiii>.  at  his  cliostii 
position  on  KiiiLj's  MoiiiUiiiii.  \vc  will  ivtiirii  to  the  moiiii- 
taiiit'iTs,  wlioin  we  li'll  nuamprd,  on  tlu'  nielli  ol'tlif  lonilli 
oi"  ( )(.tolH'r.  nt-ar  llu-  moulli  ol' Ciinc  ir«'«'k,  in  the  mM!.;lihor- 
liood  ol  ( lilbcit  'I'own.  'I'lu- ;,'V^;//<*  tlit'N  liati  ln-i-ii  scrkiiiff 
had  lied.  it  was  pMicrally  icporlfd  that  l'\'ii;nson  hail 
goni'  sonic  lilh  oi-  sixty  mill's  soulliwardlx  ,  and  later  assur- 
anii's  iVom  two  nn'n,  irpri'siMiti'd   that    hr  had  diifitcd   his 


coursr   to 


N 


ini'tv    Six,  wi 


•11- 


in<"li    a    lMMulrc( 


1    mil 


i's  awa\ 


T\n'  (U'ttiuH's  ol"  that  foil  had  In-rn  itii-ntlv  rcpairi'd  and 
strcn^thiMU'd,  t  and  it  was  slicMi^ly  ufanisontul,  it  was  said, 
with  loin'  hnndrrd  n-ffnlars  and  some  militia.  Tin*  proba- 
bility was  that  it  wonid  resist  an  assault  by  .small  aims,  and 

*  Moore's  /.//»'  i>/  I  mry,  \(<. 

t 'l^irlclon's  ( '<i»«/ii/'x'«.r,  i'«),  iH|. 


1 


214 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


i  'I 


I 

i 


! 


the  mountaineers  had  none  others  ;  but  they  were  not  to  be 
thwarted  in  their  purpose,  for  they  had  made  many  a  sacri- 
fice of  personal  comfort,  and  had  traveled  many  a  weary 
mile,  in  order  to  vanquish,  if  possible,  tlie  great  Tor}- 
leader  of  the  South.  They,  however,  learned  Ferguson's 
real  strength,  and  were  determined  to  pursue  him  to  Ninety 
Six,  or  wherever  else  he  might  see  fit  to  go.  Here,  before 
renewing  their  march,  the  mountain  men  killed  some  beeves 
for  a  supply  of  fresh  food. 

While  Colonel  Clarke,  of  Georgia,  and  his  followers, 
were  retreating  from  that  unhappy  country-,  with  their  fami- 
lies, and  were  aiming  to  cross  the  mountains  to  the  friendly 
Nolachucky  settlements,  they  were  met  by  Captain  Edward 
Hampton,  who  informed  them  that  Campbell,  Shelby, 
Sevier,  and  McDowell  were  collecting  a  force  with  which 
to  attack  Ferguson.  Major  William  Candler  and  Captain 
Johnston,  of  Clarke's  part}-,  filed  oiV  with  thirty  men  and 
formed  a  junction  with  the  mountaineers,  near  Gilbert 
Town.*  Not  very  long  thereafter,  at  what  was  called 
Probit's  place,  on  Broad  river.  Major  Chronicle,  with  a  party 
of  t\\  enty  men  from  the  South  Fork  of  Catawba,  joined  the 
mountain  men.f  Every  such  addition  to  their  numbers  was 
hailed  with  delight ;  and  the  whole  force  was,  for  purposes 
of  policy,  greatly  exaggerated  by  the  leaders,  to  inspire  both 
their  own  men  and  the  enemy  with  the  idea  of  their  great 
strengtli  and  invincibility.* 


*  McCall's  History  of  Georgia,  ii,  33d.  McCall  mistakes  in  stating  that  Colonel  Clarke 
and  his  OenrKia  fiiKitives  retired  to  Kentucky  for  the  safety  of  their  families,  That  is  of 
itself  improbable;  but  a  MS.  letter  of  Clarke  to  (General  Sumter,  of  October  29th,  1780. 
asserts  that  it  was  to  the  Nulachucky  settlement  (hey  repaired. 

t  VanceMcnowcU  narrative,  and  MS.  letter  of  R.  C.  Gillam.  of  Ashcville,  North 
Carolina,  to  Dr.  J.  H.  Loyan,  communicaiini;  an  interview  with  the  venerable  Robert 
Henry,  one  of  Chroniile's  men. 

J  MS.  statement  of  General  Joseph  McDowell  and  Colonel  Pavid  Vance,  preserved  by 
the  late  Hon.  Robert  Henry,  of  Buncombe  county.  North  Carolina, 

Supposing  the  numbers  reported  correctly,  the  whole  force  assembled  for  the  King's 
Mountain  expedition  did  not  evceed  eighteen  hundred  and  forty  men.  viz  :  Campbell's 
force.  400;  Shelby's,  240;  Sevier's,  240;  McDowell's,  160,  increased  in  Burke  to  pmliahly 
180:  Cleveland  and  Winston's,  350;  Candler's,  30;  I.accy's,  270;  Williams'.  70;  and  Ham- 
bright's,  including  Chronicle's,  60.  Vet  they  were  represented  as  numbering  three  thou- 
sand by  M.ajor  T.itc,  who  was  in  the  action.     See  General  Davidson's  letter,  October  loth. 


AXD  ITS  HEROES. 


215 


Pursuing  the  same  route  Fer<ru.s()n  liacl  taken,  they 
passed  over  Mountain  creek  and  Broad  river,  at  Denard's 
Ford,  wlu-n  tliey  seem  to  have  lost  the  trail  of  the  fugitives, 
wliose  place  of  detour  to  the  left  they  did  not  happen  to 
discover.  They  constantly  sent  out  scouts,  lest  any  parties 
of  Tories  might  be  roving  through  the  country,  and  take 
them  unawares.  John  Martin  and  Thomas  Lankford,  of 
Captain  Joseph  Cloud's  company,  of  Cleveland's  regiment, 
while  out  spying,  were  waylaid  near  Broad  ri\er,  by  a 
party  in  ambush,  who  fired  at  them,  severel}-  wounding 
Martin  in  the  head.  Lankford  escaped  unhurt.  The  Tories 
captured  their  horses  and  Martin's  gun,  leaving  Martin  for 
dead.  At  length  recovering  his  senses,  the  wounded  soldier 
managed  to  reach  the  camp  of  his  friends.  The  shot  had 
fortunately  been  broken  of  their  force  by  his  hat,  and  onlv 
penetrated  through  the  skin  of  his  temples,  and  John  Death- 
eridge  succeeded  in  picking  them  all  out  of  the  wound. 
Unfit  for  further  service  at  that  time,  Martin  was  con\eyed 
home.* 


1780,  Gordon's  ./wcr;V(i«  /fVir  says,  they  "  amounted  to  near  three  thniisand  ;  "  and  this 
was  copied  into  the  first  edition  of  Marshall's  Li/i-  of  II  ashington.  In  Steadinan's  Ameri- 
can War,  the  number  is  given  as  "  upward  of  three  thousand."  Governor  Shelby,  in  his 
Aiiierhun  Reriew  narrative,  states  that  "a  Whig  prisoner  taken  by  Lord  Cornwallis  repre- 
sented to  him  that  the  patriot  force  numbered  three  thousand  riflemen  ;  "  and  other  reports 
to  the  British  at  this  period  made  the  number  still  larger.  Judge  Johnson,  in  liis  Li/e  0/ 
Grctnc,  has  magnified  it  to  "near  si,\  thousand." 

There  is,  after  all,  some  reason  to  suppose  that  the  Whig  force  was  over-estimated  in 
the  ofTicial  report  of  Campbell,  Shelby,  and  Cleveland.  Campbell's  regiment,  ai  cording  to 
Knsign  Robert  Campbell,  one  of  the  officers  of  that  corps,  amounted  to  "near  four  hun- 
dreil,  "  and  Shelby'sand  Sevier's  together  to  only  three  hundred.  The  MS.  account  hereto- 
fore cited,  written  by  one  of  Campbell's  men,  whose  name  is  unknown,  states  that  Shelby 
and  Sevier's  united  force  numbered  three  hundred  and  fifty,  and  McDowell's  one  hundred 
and  fifty;  that  Williams',  the  South  Carolinians,  and  the  few  Georgia  troops,  amounted  to 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty;  placing  Campbell's  at  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  tleve- 
'ind  and  Winston's  at  four  hundred— making  a  total  of  sixteen  hundred.  Colonel  Arthur 
(."ampbell's  manuscript  only  gives  the  number  of  McDowell's  party  at  one  hundred  and 
fifty.  In  Shelby's  narr.ilive.  in  the  American  Rerie^i',  it  is  stated  that  the  Williams  party 
numbered  "  from  two  to  three  hundred  refugees"  which,  united  with  the  others,  "  made  a 
muster  roll  of  about  sixteen  h.indred."  It  was.  perhaps,  this  total  number  that  Major 
Tate  reported  to  General  Davidson,  and  which  the  Cieneral  misunderstood  as  the  selected 
portion  for  the  battle. 

'■'M.'^.  pension  statement  of  Thomas  Shipp.  John  Martin,  one  of  the  heroic  soldiers  of 
that  part  of  Surry  County,  now  constituting  Stokes.  North  Carolina,  was  born  in  Essex 
County.  Virginia,  in  1756;  and.  in  1768,  his  parents  settled  near  the  Saura  Mountain,  in 
Stokes.     During  the  devolution,  Martin  was  very  active,  sometimes  serving  as  a  private 


Ill 


216 


X7JVG '  S  MO  UNTAIN 


The  mountain  men,  after  crossing  Broad  river,  went  on 
some  two  and  a  half  miles,  to  what  is  now  Alexander's  Ford 
ofGreen  river,  accomplishing  not  over  twelve  or  thirteen  miles 
this  ilay,the  lifth  of  Ocloher,  Many  of  the  horses  had  become 
weak,  crippled,  and  exhausted,  and  not  a  few  of  the  Iramp- 
ers  foot-sore  and  weary.  Their  progress  was  provokinglv 
slow,  and  Campbell  and  his  fellow  leaders  began  to  realize 
it.  They  determined  to  select  their  best  men,  best  horses, 
and  best  rifles  ;  and,  with  this  chosen  corps,  pursue  Fergu- 
son unremittingly,  and  overtake  him,  if  possible,  before  he 
could  reach  any  post,  or  receive  au}^  re-inforcements.  The 
Whig  chiefs  were  not  a  little  perplexed  as  to  the  course  of 
Ferguson's  retreat,  and  the  objective  point  he  had  in  view  ; 
and  some  of  the  men  began  to  exhibit  signs  of  getting 
somewhat  discouraged.  But  all  doubts  and  perplexities 
were  soon  happily  dissipated,- as  we  shall  presently  learn. 

While  Ferguson  was  encamped  at  Tate's  place,  an  old 
gentleman  called  on  him,  who  disguised  the  object  of  his 
visit.  The  next  morning,  October  fifth,  after  traveling  all 
night,  some  twenty  miles  or  more,  Ferguson's  visitor,  well 
known  to  many  of  the  troops  as  a  person  of  veracity, 
arrived  at  the  camp  of  the  South  Carolinians  at  Flint  Hill, 
and  iiave  the  followinjx  information :  that  he  had  been 
several  days  with  Colonel  Ferguson,  and  had,  by  his  plausi- 
ble address,  succeeded  in  impressing  the  British  commander 


volunteer,  and  sometimes  as  a  lieiitemit,  in  fiKhting  the  British  and  Tories.  In  February, 
1776,  he  served  a  tour  under  Colonel  Joseph  Williams  against  the  Scotch-Tories,  at  Cross 
creek,  who  were  defeated  just  before  their  arriv.nl ;  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  went  on 
General  Rutherford's  expedition  against  the  Cherokees.  In  a  skirmish  with  the  Tories, 
he  wounded  and  captured  one  of  their  leaders,  Morton,  who  died  shortly  afterwards.  In 
July,  1780,  he  went  in  pu  -nit  of  the  fleeing  Tory  leader.  Colonel  Samuel  I'ryan.  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  fight  at  Colson's.  under  Colonel  William  Lee  Davidson.  lint  for  the  griev- 
ous wound  he  received  near  I'road  river,  he  would  have  shared  in  the  dangers  and  glories 
of  King's  Mount.iin.  He  was  stationed,  in  September,  1781.  at  Guilford,  and  shortly  after 
at  Wilmington,  where  he  heiird  the  joyful  news  of  Cornwallis'  surrender. 

After  the  war,  he  became  a  colonel  in  the  militia  ;  in  1798  and  1799,  he  served  as  a  mem- 
ber in  the  House  of  Commons;  and  was  long  a  magistrate,  presiding  for  thirty  years  in  the 
County  Court.  He  was  a  man  of  infinite  humor  and  irony,  possessing  a  keen  perception 
of  the  ludicrous.  Several  characteristic  anecdotes  are  preserved  of  him  in  Wheeler's 
History  of  Xfirth  Carolina.  He  died  at  his  home,  near  the  Saura  Mountain,  April  5th, 
1823,  leaving  many  children  ,to  inherit  his  virtues.  The  late  General  John  Gray  Bynum 
was  his  grandson,  as  is  the  Hon.  William  P.  Hynuni,  of  Charlotte. 


li 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


217 


with  the  belief  that  his  aged  visitor  was  a  great  friend  to 
the  Royal  cause;  that  Ferguson,  the  evening  before,  had 
sent  an  express  to  Lord  Cornwallis,  at  Charlotte,  announc- 
ing that  he  knew  full  well  that  the  Back  Water  men  were 
in  hot  pursuit ;  that  he  should  select  his  ground,  and  boldl}' 
meet  them  ;  that  he  defied  God  Almighty  himself  and  all 
the  Rebels  out  of  h — 1  to  overcome  him  ;  that  he  had 
completed  the  business  of  his  mission,  in  collecting  and 
training  the  friends  of  the  King  in  that  quarter,  so  that  he 
could  now  bring  a  re-inforcemtnt  of  upwards  of  a  thousand 
men  to  the  Royal  army  ;  but  as  the  intervening  distance, 
thirty  to  forty  miles  to  Charlotte,  Wc^s  through  a  d — d  rebel- 
lious country,  and  as  the  Rebels  were  such  cowardly  rascals, 
that  instead  of  meeting  him  in  an  open  field,  they  would 
resort  to  ambuscades,  he  would,  therefore,  be  glad  if  his 
Lordship  woidd  send  Tarleton  with  his  horse  and  infantry 
to  escort  him  to  head-quarters.* 

During  the  day,  Williams  and  Brandon  were  missed 
from  the  camp,  and  Colonel  Mill  was  informed  that  they 
had  taken  a  pathway  that  led  to  the  mountains.  After  sun- 
set they  were  seen  to  return.  Colonel  Ilill,  who  had  been 
on  the  watch  for  them,  now  inquired  where  the}-  had  been, 
as  they  had  not  been  seen  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  At 
first,  they  appeared  unwilling  to  give  any  satisfactory  infor- 
mation. Colonel  Hill  insisting  that  the\-  should,  like  honor- 
able men,  impart  whatever  knowledge  they  may  have  gained, 
for  the  good  of  the  whole,  Williams  at  length  acknowl- 
edged that  they  had  visited  the  mountain  men  on  their 
march  south  from  the  neighborhood  of  Gilbert  Town,  and 
had  Ibund  them  a  fine  set  of  fellows,  well  armed.  When  asked 
further  by  Colonel  Hill  where  they  were  to  form  a  junction 
with  them,  he  answered,  "At  the  Old  Iron  Works,  on  Law- 
son's  Fork."  Hill  remarked,  that  that  would  be  marching 
directly  out  of  the  way  from  Ferguson  ;  that  it  was  undoubt- 


*  Hill's  MS.  narrative.  Colonel  Hill,  recording  his  recollections  thirty-four  years  after 
this  event,  makes  the  evident  mistake  that  the  old  man  visited  Ferguson  on  King  s 
Mountain. 


1     Kl^i.      ' 


1 '      :  i;i 


i»;ii 


i 


I 


:£ 


t 


i*  ii 


218 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


edly  the  purpose  of  the  mounUiin  men  to  fight  Ferguson, 
who  had  sent  to  CornwalHs  lor  Tarleton's  horse  and  infantry 
to  go  to  his  rehet",  and  this  re-inforcement  might  be  expected 
in  a  day  a  two  ;  that,  if  the  battle  was  not  Ibught  before 
Tarleton"s  arrival,  it  was  very  certain  it  would  not  be  fought 
at  all ;  that  Ferguson,  who  had  been  liitter  and  cruel  in  his 
eflbrts  to  crush  out  the  Whigs  and  their  cause,  was  now  in 
South  Carolina,  within  striking  distance,  and  it  appeared  as 
if  Heaven  had,  in  mercy,  sent  these  mountain  men  to 
punisli  this  arch-enemy  of  the  people. 

Colonel  Hill  states,  that  Williams  seemed  for  some 
moments  to  labor  under  a  sense  of  embarrassment ;  but 
finally  confessed,  that  he  had  made  use  of  deception  in 
order  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  mountaineers  to  Ninety 
Six.  Hill  then  inquired  if  they  had  any  cannon  with  them. 
Williams  said  "no,"  and  then  added,  that  such  men  with 
their  rifles  would  soon  reduce  that  post.  Colonel  Hill 
relates:  "I  then  used  the  freedom  to  tell  him,  that  I  plainl}' 
saw  through  his  design,  which  was  to  get  the  armv  into 
his  own  settlement,  secure  his  remaining  property,  and 
plunder  the  Tories.''  In  the  course  of  the  conversation, 
Williams  said,  with  a  considerable  degree  of  warmth,  that 
the  North  Carolinians  might  fight  Ferguson  or  let  it  alone  ; 
but  it  was  the  business  of  the  South  Carolinians  to  fight  for 
their  own  country.  Colonel  Hill  took  the  occasion  further 
to  int'orm  him,  that,  notwithstanding  he  had  taken  such  un- 
warrantable means  to  avoid  an  action  with  Ferguson,  b\'  his 
eftbrts  to  mislead  the  mountain  men,  he  would  endeavor  to 
thwart  his  purposes. 

Leaving  Williams  to  his  own  reflections.  Colonel  Hill  at 
once  inlbrmed  Colonel  Lace\'  what  the  former  had  done — 
that,  to  use  a  huntsman's  phrase,  he  had  been  putting 
their  friends  on  the  wrong  scent ;  that  should  they  not  be 
correctlv  informed  before  the  ensuing  dav,  Fermison 
might  escape;  and  as  he.  Colonel  Hill,  was  unfit  to  make 
a  night  ride,  with  his  arm  still   in  a  sling  Irom  the  severe 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


219 


wound  he  received  at  Hanging  Rock,  he  desired  Colonel 
Lacey  to  go  at  once  to  the  camp  of  the  mountaineers,  as  he 
was  better  able  to  travel,  and  give  them  a  just  representa- 
tion of  Ferguson's  locality,  and  the  necessit}-  for  the  great- 
est expedition  in  attacking  him  while  yet  within  reach,  and 
before  'J'arletcjn  could  come  to  his  aid. 

Taking  Colonel  Hill's  horse,  who  was  a  good  night 
traveler,  with  a  person  for  pilot  who  was  acquainted  with 
the  country,  Lacey  started  on  his  mission  at  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  ;  and  on  crossing  the  spur  of  a  moun- 
tain, they  unfortunately  strayed  from  the  trail,  and  Lacev 
began  to  be  suspicious  that  his  guide  was  playing  him  false, 
and  was  endea  /oring  to  betray  him  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  So  strong  was  this  conviction,  that  he  twice  cocked 
his  gun  to  kill  the  suspected  traitor ;  but  the  pilot's  earnest 
pleas  of  innocence  prevailed. 

At  length  they  regained  the  path,  and,  after  a  devious 
journey  of  some  eighteen  or  twenty  miles,  reached  the  camp 
of  the  mountain  men,  at  Green  river,  before  day.  Lacey  was 
at  once  taken  in  charge,  blind-folded,  and  conducted  to  the 
Colonels'  quarters,  where  he  introduced  himself  as  Colonel 
Lacev.  They  at  first  repulsed  his  advances,  taking  him  to 
be  a  Tory  spy.  He  had  the  address,  however,  to  convince 
them  that  he  was  no  impostor.  He  informed  them  of  Fer- 
guson's position,  his  strength,  and  urged  them,  b}'  all 
means,  to  push  forward  immediately,  and  that,  by  combin- 
ing: the  Whi"'  forces,  thev  could  undoubtedlv  overwhelm 
the  Tory  arm  v,  while  delay  might  prove  fatal  to  their  success, 
as  Ferguson  had  appealed  to  Lord  Cornwallis  for  re-inforce- 
ments.*  These  views  met  \\ith  a  hearty  response  from  the 
sturdy  mountaineers. 

*  Hills  MS.  narrative,  and  Dr.  M.  A.  Moore's  pamphlet  Life  of  General  Ed:vard 
Lacey.  pp.  16-17.  P""-  Moore  states  that  Lacey's  jonrncy  from  the  camp  of  tlie  South 
Carolinians  to  that  of  the  mountaineers  was  sixty  miles;  but  from  Colonel  Hills  repre- 
sentation of  the  time  consumed  by  Lacey  and  his  pilot,  it  is  an  evident  mistake.  The  dis- 
tance from  Flint  Hill,  across  a  somewhat  rough  and  broken  country,  to  the  old  ford  on 
Green  river,  is  as  stated  in  the  text. 

It  sluiuld  be  added,  in  this  connection,  that  M.ijor  Chronicle,  who  probably  personally 
knew  Colonel  Lacey,  must,  on  this  visit  of  the  latter,  have  been  absent  on  a  scout  or  with 
a  foraging  party. 


'B 


220 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN- 


Colonel  Lacey  learned  from  the  Whig  leaders  that  Wil- 
liams and  I3randt)n  had  represented  to  them  that  Ferguson 
had  gone  to  Ninety  Six ;  and  that  by  agreement,  the 
mountain  men  were  to  form  a  junction  with  the  South  Caro- 
linians at  the  Old  Iron  Works,  on  Lawson's  Fork  of  Pacolet. 
This  tallied  precisely  with  the  opinion  Colonel  Hill  had 
formed,  judging  from  Williams'  confession  of  deception,  in 
order  to  lead  the  mountaineers  to  the  region  of  Ninety  Six, 
where  his  own  interests  were  centered.  When  Campbell 
and  his  r.ssociates  learned  of  the  ruse  Williams  had  attempt- 
ed to  palm  ort'  upon  them,  they  felt  not  a  little  indignant, 
as  they  had  come  so  far,  and  suffered  so  many  privations, 
for  the  sole  purpose,  if  possible,  of  crushing  Ferguson. 
The  Cowpens  was  agreed  on  as  the  proper  place  for  the 
junction  of  the  forces  the  ensuing  evening. 

Williams  seemed  intent  on  carrying  his  point  of  getting 
control  of  Sumter's  men,  and  marching  them  towards 
Ninety  Six.  On  the  morning  of  Friday,  the  sixth  of  Octo- 
ber, he  went  the  rounds  of  the  camp  of  the  South  Caroli- 
nians, ordering  the  officers  and  men  to  prepare  to  march 
for  the  Old  Iron  Works  ;  but  Colonel  Mill  followed  quickly 
upon  his  heels,  exposing  his  designs,  and  directing  the  men 
to  await  Colonel  Lace3''s  return,  that  they  might  know  to 
a  certainty  to  what  point  to  march,  in  order  to  form 
the  expected  union  with  their  friends  from  the  West. 
Colonel  Hill  animadverted  upon  the  folly  of  making  a 
foray  into  the  region  of  Ninety  Si  simply  for  the  sake  of 
Tory  booty,  wlicn  Ferguson,  with  his  strong  force,  would 
be  left  in  their  rear,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the 
mountain  gaps,  and  fords  of  the  streams,  to  entrap  and  cut 
them  ofT.  Colonel  Hill  then  ordered  all  wlio  loved  tlieir 
country,  and  were  read}-  to  stand  firmly  by  it  in  its  hour  of 
distress,  t(.  form  a  line  on  the  right ;  and  those  who  pre- 
ferred to  plunder,  rather  than  courageously  to  meet  the 
enemy,  to  form  a  line  on  the  left.  Colonel  Hill  adds,  that 
he  was  happy  that  the  greater  portion  took  their  places  on 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


221 


the  nj]fht,  leaving  but  the  tew  tbllovvers  of  Williams  to  oc- 
cupy the  otlier  position. 

Upon  the  return  of  Colonel  Lacey,  about  ten  o'clock, 
the  troops  renewed  their  march,  with  the  expectation  of 
uniting  with  the  mountaineers  at  the  Cowpens  that  evening. 
Colonel  Williams,  with  his  followers,  hung  upon  the  rear, 
as  if  he  thought  it  unsafe  to  march  by  himself  at  a  distance  ; 
and  when  the  pinch  came,  h"  abandoned  the  idea  of  going 
with  his  party  alone  to  the  region  of  Ninety  Six.  By  this 
time,  such  was  the  spirit  of  animosity  cherished  by  the 
Sumter  men  against  Williams  and  his  followers,  that  they 
shouted  back  affronting  words  —  even  throwing  stones  at 
them,  the  whole  day.*  About  sunset,  after  a  march  of 
some  twenty  miles,  the  South  Carolinians  arrived  at  the 
place  of  their  destination. 

The  over-mountain  men  now  demand  our  attention. 
The}'  reached  the  lord  of  Green  river  on  the  evening  of 
the  tifth  of  October.  Strong  giuirds  were  placed  around 
the  camp,  relieved  ever}-  two  hours — "  mighty  little  sleep 
that  night,"  said  Continental  Jack  sixty-four  years  thereafter. 
The  whole  night  was  spent  in  making  a  selection  of  the 
fittest  men,  horses,  and  equipments  for  a  forced  march,  and 
successful  attack  on  the  enemy.  The  number  chosen  was 
about  seven  hundred;!  thus  leaving  of  the  lootmen  and 
those  having  weak  horses,  judging  from  the  aggregate 
given   in    the  official   report  of  the  campaign,   about   six 


♦These  details  of  the  movements  nnd  differences  nf  Sumter's  corps  aiul  Williams 
and  his  party,  arc  taken  from  the  interestinK  MS.  narrative  of  Colonel  William  Mill.  See- 
in;:;  no  reas(m  to  discredit  the  statements  of  tliis  sturdy  patriot,  they  have  been  used  freely, 
the  better  to  illustrate  the  difficulties  of  the  times,  and  especially  those  attending  the  Kings 
Mountain  campaign. 

t  Narrative  of  Ensign  Robert  Campbell,  who  served  on  the  expedition;  corroborated 
by  Elijah  Callaway's  MS.  narrative,  in  184  ;  Ocneral  Wm.  I.enoir  says  "  five  or  six  hun- 
dred "  Campbell's  and  Callaway's  statements  in  this  case  seem  the  most  probable.  Gen- 
eral Lenoir's  recollections  as  to  the  number  of  footmen  is  very  erroneous,  placing  them  at 
about  fifteen  hundred. 

Spelts  stated,  that  some  fifty  odd  footmen  followed  in  the  rear,  he  among  the  number; 
and  i>ld  'Continental  Jack"  insisted  that  thou.ijh  at  first  they  were  not  able  to  keep  up 
with  the  horsemen,  yet  they  overtook  them,  before  reaching  King's  Mountain,  and  share<l 
in  the  fight.  James  Sevier  testified  to  the  fact,  that  a  number  of  footmen  actually  followed 
and  took  part  in  the  action. 


I 


f! 


222 


A'LVG'S  MOUNTAIN- 


% 


i 


luiiulrL'd  and  niiu'fy,  and  soim'what  less,  accordinLj  to  the 
statiMiuMit  of  the  unknown  incmbor  ol"  Camphill's  regiment. 
These  were  phiced  under  the  command  of  Major  Joseph 
Herndon,  an  excellent  ofiicer  of  Cleveland's  regiment,  while 
Captain  William  Neal  was  left  in  special  charge  of  Camp- 
helTs  men.  Colonel  Campbell,  realizing  that  the  footmen 
might  yet  be  neeiled  in  his  operations,  and  knowing  that 
Neal  was  an  ofiicer  of  much  energy  of  character,  had 
selected  him  for  this  service;  and  gave  directions  to  him, 


IIernd( 


also,   to  d< 


th 


in   th 


and   to   Major  lien 

power  to  expedite  the  march  of  the  troops  confided  to  their 

charge,  by  urging  them  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Colonel  Lacey's  opportune  visit  to  the  camp  of  the 
mountaineers  was  fortunate.  Some,  at  least,  of  the  Whig 
leaders,  as  tradition  has  it,  began  to  doubt  the  policy  of  con- 
tinuing the  uncertain  pursuit,  lest  by  being  led  too  far  away, 
their  prolonged  absence  from  their  over-mountain  homes 
might  invite  a  raid  from  the  hostile  Cherokees  upon  their 
feel^ly  protected  families.  Lacey's  information  and  sjiirited 
appeals  reassured  the  timid,  and  imparted  new  courage  to 
the  hopeful.*  Instead  of  directing  their  course,  as  they 
otherwise  would  have  done,  to  the  Old  Iron  Works,  on 
Lawson's  Fork  of  Pacolet,  some  fifteen  miles  out  of  their 
way,  they  marched  direct  for  the  Cowpens,  starting  about 
daybreak  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth  of  October.  The}' 
took  a  southerly  direction  to  Sandy  Plains,  following  a 
ridge  road  well  adapted  for  travel  ;t  thence  bearing  .south- 
easterh'  to  the  Cowpens.  a  distance  of  some  twenty-one 
miles  altogether,  reaching  the  place  of  rendezvous  soon 
after  sunset,  a  short  time  after  the  arrival  of  tlie  South 
Carolinians  and  their  associates,  under  Colonels  Hill,  Lacey, 
Williams,  and  Graham. t  On  the  way,  they  passed  near 
where  several  large  bodies  of  Tories  were  assembled  :  one, 

*MS.  letter  of  the  late  Dr.  Alex.  Q.  Bradley.  Marion.  Ala.,  neceniher  ?9,  1S71. 

+  MS.  letter  of  Dr.  T.  11.  Twitty.  of  Twitty's  FortI  of  Hroad  river. 

X  Hill's  MS.  narrative.  In  the  narrative  of  Major  Thomas  Yonnp.  one  of  Williams' 
party,  in  the  Orwn  magazine,  the  idea  is  conveyed  that  the  mountaineers  arrived  first 
and  were  engaged  in  killing  hecvcs. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


223 


numberinfj  six  Iwindrt'd,  at  Major  Gihbs',  abcnit  four  miles 
to  the  ri;^ht  ot'  tlu'  Cuwpeiis.  wlio  \vt.Tc  iiiteiidin;^  to  join 
Ferguson  the  next  (.lay  ;  but  the  mountain  men  were  after 
Ferj^uson.  and  would  not  be  diverted  from  their  jnirpose, 
and  losi'  jireiious  time,  to  strike  at  these  lesser  parties.* 
The  riflemen  from  the  mountains  had  tnrned  out  /o  catch 
/'"cri^/tso/i,  and  this  was  tlieir  rallyinu^  cry  from  the  day  they 
had  U'ft  the  S\camore  Shoals,  on  the  Watauga. f 

While  the  main  object  was  kept  steadily  in  view — not  to 
be  tempted  away  from  the  direct  pursuit  of  Ferguson,  yet 
it  was  deemed  of  sutFicient  importance  to  endeavor  to  make 
a  night  attack  on  this  party  at  Major  Gibbs'.  The  onh*  ac- 
count we  have  of  this  enterprise  is  preserved  in  Ensign 
Campbell's  diar\' :  "On  passing  near  the  Cowpens,  we 
heard  of  a  large  body  of  Tories  about  eight  miles  dis- 
tant, and,  although  the  main  enterprise  was  not  to  be 
delayed  a  single  moment,  a  party  of  eighty  volunteers, 
imder  Ensign  Robert  Campbell,  was  dispatched  in  pursuit 
of  them  during  the  night.  They  had,  however,  removed 
before  the  mountaineers  came  to  the  place,  and  who.  after 
riding  all  night,  came  up  with  the  main  body  the  next 
day."  Ensign  Campbell  adds,  that  "a  similar  expedition 
was  conducted  by  Captain  Colvill,  with  no  better  success, 
but  without  causing  delay," — and  this,  too,  must  have  been 
the  same  night,  though  he  places  it  as  occurring  on  the 
following  one.* 

For  an  hour  or  two  on  the  evening  of  the  sixth,  there  was 
a  stirring  bivouac  at  the  Cowpens.  A  wealthy  English  Tory, 
named  Saunders,  resided  there,  who  reared  large  num- 
bers of  cattle,  and  having  many  pens  in  which  to  herd  his 
stock — hence  the  derivation  of  Cow-pens.     Saunders,  was, 


■She 


.IS  cited  in   Haywnoil's    Tennessee.  70;  a 


id   R 


amsey  s 


Tennessee,  2 


34. 


Dr. 


Hi 


his  SA-e/i/ies. 


n'lves  the  niimhcr  of  the  Tory  party  at  Major   Gibbs'  as  "four 


or  five  hundred."  which  is  perhaps  quite  as  large  as  it  really  was. 

V  Hunter's  Sieti/ies, 

J  MS.  Diary  of  Knsign   Robert  Campbell,  kindly  communicated  by  Rev.  D.  C.  Kelley, 
D.  D.,  of  Lecvillc.  Tenn.     This  diary  is  a  different  document  from  the  King's  Mountain 


,  by  th 


e  satn*  writer. 


2'24 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


M 


iff' 

:  J( 


at  tlje  time,  in  bed— pt'iliaps  not  vny  wi'll,  or  f(>irfnin^  sick- 
ness ;  from  which  he  was  uneeri'moniously  pulled  out,  and 
treated  pretty  roughly.  When  commanded  lo  tell  at  what 
time  Ferguson  had  passed  that  place,  he  declared  that  tlie 
Hritish  Colonel  and  his  army  had  not  passed  there  at  all ; 
that  there  was  plenty  of  torch  pine  in  his  liouse,  which  they 
coukl  light,  and  search  carefully,  and  if  tiiey  could  find  any 
track  or  sign  of  an  army,  they  might  hang  him,  or  ilo  what- 
ever else  they  pleased  with  him  ;  but  if  they  made  no  such 
discoveries,  he  trusted  they  would  treat  him  more  leniently. 
Search  was  accordingly  made,  but  no  evidence  of  an  army 
passing  there  ccnild  be  found.*  Several  of  the  old  Tory's 
cattle  were  e[uickly  shot  down  and  slaughtered  for  the  sup- 
ply of  the  hungry  soldiers  ;  and  the  bright  camp  lires  were 
everywhere  seen  lighting  up  the  gloomy  surroundings,  and 
strips  of  beef  were  quickh'  roasted  upon  the  coals  and 
embers  ;  while  (Ifty  acres  of  corn  found  there  were  har- 
vested in  about  ten  minutes. f  The  weary  men  and  horses 
were  refreshed — save  a  few  laggards  who  were  too  tardy  in 
cooking  their  repast. 

Joseph  Kerr,  the  cripple  spy,  was  at  this  time  a  member 
of  Colonel  Williams'  command.  Either  from  Flint  Hill, 
or  shortly  before  reaching  there,  he  had  been  sent  to  gain 
intelligence  of  Ferguson,  and  found  him  encamped — appar^ 
ently  at  noon-day,  on  the  sixth  of  October — at  Peter 
Qiiinn's,  six  or  seven  miles  from  King's  Mountain  ;  and 
designed  marching  to  that  point  during  the  afternoon  of  that 
day.  It  was  a  region  of  many  Tories,  and  Kerr  found  no 
ditliculty  in  gaining  access  to  Ferguson's  camp ;  and  hav- 
ing been  a  cripple  from  his  infancy,  passed  unsuspected  of 
his  true  character,  making  anxious  inquiries  relative  to 
taking  protection,  and  was  professedl}'  gratitied  on  learning 


'■'MS,  narrative  of  Vance  anil  McDowell,  preserved  liy  the  late  Hon.  Robert  Henry. 

7  Silas  Mcliee's  statement  to  the  author  in  1842,  Mr.  McHce  was  born  Noveinhei  24, 
1765,  and  was  consequently  not  quite  fifteen  when  he  served  on  this  campaign.  He  died 
In  Pontotoc  County,  Mississippi.  January  6th,  1845,  in  his  eightieth  year.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  lesislature  of  Alabama,  and  was  a  man  much  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 


WW  m ' 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


225 


good  lU'Ws  eonccrniiii,'  the  King's  ciuiso  and  prospi'Cts. 
AfliT  nvmaging,  l)y  liis  natural  shrewdness  and  good  sense, 
to  make  all  the  observations  he  coukl,  he  tiuietly  retired, 
making  his  way,  probably  in  a  somewhat  circuitous  course, 
to  rejoin  his  countrymen.  As  they  were  on  the  wing,  he 
did  not  overtake  them  till  the  evening  of  that  dav,  at  the 
Cowpens,  when  he  was  able  to  report  to  the  Whig  chiefs 
Ferguson's  movements  and  position,  and  that  his  numbers 
did  not  exceed  fifteen  hundred  men.*  This  information 
was  much  more  recent  than  had  come  througli  the  old 
man  who  made  his  report  at  Flint  Hill,  on  the  morning 
of  the  lifth  ;  and  it  tended  to  corroborate  the  correctness  of 
the  ireneral  tenor  of  the  intelli<;ence.  And  it  served  to 
strengthen  the  faith  of  the  mountain  men,  that  with  proper 
energy  on  their  part,  and  the  blessing  of  Providence,  they 
would  yet  overtake  and  cliastise  the  wily  British  leader  and 
his  Tory  allies,  after  whom  they  were  so  anxiously  seeking. 
It  was  deemed  important  to  gain  the  latest  intelligence 
of  Ferguson's  present  position,  for  he  might  not  now  be 
where  he  was  when  seim  by  Kerr.  Among  others, 
Enoch  Gilmer,  of  the  South  Fork  of  Catawba,  was  pro- 
posed by  Major  Chronicle,  of  Graham's  men.  It  was 
objected  that  Gilmer  was  not  acquainted  with  the  country 
throuah  which  Ferguson  was  believed  to  have  marched. 
Chronicle  replied,  that  Gilmer  could  acquire  informaticm 
beltt-r  than  those  familiar  wiUi  the  region,  for  he  could 
readily  assume  any  character  that  the  occasion  might  re- 
quire ;  that  he  could  cry  and  laugh  in  the  same  breath,  and 
all  who  witnessed  him  would  llnnh-  believe  that  he  was  in 
earnest  in  both  :  that  he  could  act  the  part  of  a  lunatic  so 
appropriately  that  even  those  best  acquainted  with  him,  if 
not  let  into  the  secret,  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  to 
believe    that   he  was   actually   deranged ;    that   he  was   a 


*MS.  pension  statement  of  Joseph  Kerr;  \\\mK<^x'%  Sketches  of  Wtstern  Korth  Carolina, 
121.     After  the  war,  Kerr  rcntovcd  to  White  (.ounty.  Tennessee,  where  lie  reteived  a  pen- 
iion  in  1S3J  for  his  Revolutionary  servites,  and  subsequently  died  at  a  good  old  age. 
15 


^^  % 


BJiV 


i 


n 


[fj  Ti  1 


m 


'  i  ^ 

n'' 

22G 


A'/JVG '  6"  J/C>  UNTAIN 


slirowd,  cunning'  follow,  iind  a  stranger  to  fear.  He  was 
selected  among  others,  and  started  oft'  on  his  mission. 

lie  called  at  a  Tory's  house  not  many  miles  in  advance, 
and  represented  to  him  that  he  had  been  waiting  on  Fergu- 
son's supposed  route  from  Denard's  Ford  to  Ninet}'  Six, 
intending  to  join  his  forces ;  but  not  marching  in  that  direc- 
tion, he  was  now  seeking  his  camp.  The  Tory,  not  sus- 
pecting Gilmer's  true  character,  frankh-  related  all  he  knew 
or  had  learned  of  Ferguson's  UKnements  and  intentions ; 
that,  after  he  had  crossed  Broad  river  at  Penard's  Ford,  he 
had  received  a  dispatch  from  Lord  Coruwallis,  ordering  him 
to  rejoin  the  main  army  :  that  his  Lordship  was  calling  in  his 
outposts,  making  n^ady  to  give  Gates  a  second  defeat,  reduce 
North  Carolina,  stamping  out  all  Rebel  opposition  as  in 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  when  he  would  enter  Virginia 
with  a  larger  army  than  had  yet  marched  over  American 
soil.*  Gilmer  returned  to  the  Cowpens  before  the  troops 
took  up  their  line  of  march  that  evening.  All  this  was  about 
on  a  par  with  the  ordinary  British  boasting  of  the  times  ; 
but  did  not  furnish  the  Whig  leaders  with  the  intelligence 
they  more  particularly  desired  relative  to  Ferguson's  present 
plans  and  whereabouts. 

Meanwhile  a  council  was  held,  in  which  the  newlv  joiiu'd 
officers,  save  Colonel  Williams,  participated  :  and  Colonel 
Campbell  was  retained  in  the  chief  command — "in  courte- 
s}-,"  says  Colonel  Hill,  "  to  him  and  his  regiment,  who  liad 
marched  the  greatest  distance."  Men  and  horses  refreshed, 
they  started  about  nine  o'clock  on  their  night's  march  in 
quest  of  Ferguson.  To  what  extent  the  North  and  South 
Carolinians,  who  joined  the  mountain  men  at  the  Cowpens, 
added  to  their  numbers,  is  not  certainly  known  :  but 
as  they  were  less  jaded  than  the  others,  they  probably 
reached  about  their  full  quota  of  four  lumdred.  as  is 
generaMy  understood — Williams  had,  a  few  days  before, 
called    them   in   round  numbers,   four  hundred  and    llfty, 

*Vaiice  and  McDowell  n.irr.itive,  as  iirescrvcil  liy  Rnhcrt  Ilciiry. 


|t^ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


227 


indudin^  his  own  corps;  while  Colonel  Hill  is  silent 
in  his  niii-nilivo  as  to  their  strength.  Thus  the  coni'niiied 
force  at  tlie  Cowpens  was  ahout  eleven  hundreil.  and 
nearly  all  well  armed  with  rifles.  Here  a  prompt  selec- 
tion was  made  h}'  the  oHicers  from  the  several  parties  just 
arrived  from  Flint  Ilill — so  that  the  whole  number  of 
mounted  men  fnially  chosen  to  pursue  and  attack  Ferguson, 
was  ahout  nine  hundred  and  en,  besides  the  squad  of  un- 
ctnmted  footmen,  wlio  were  probably  not  so  numerous  as 
Spelts  supposed.  They  may  be  estimated,  pro  rata,  accord- 
ing to  the  relative  strength  of  their  respective  corps,  about 
as  follows:  Chosen  at  Green  ri\er — Campbell's  men.  two 
hundred  ;  Shelby's,  one  hundred  and  twenty  ;  Sevier's,  one 
hundred  and  twenty;  Cleveland's,  one  hundred  ami  ten; 
McDowell's,  ninety;  and  Winston's,  sixty; — total,  ^even 
hundred.  Additi<mal  troops  selected  at  the  Cowpens: 
Lacey's,  one  hundred  ;  Williams',  sixty  ;  and  Graham  and 
Ilambright's,  lifty  ; — total,  two  Inmdred  and  ten  :  and  mak- 
insi  altowther  nine  hundred  and  ten  mounted  men.*  Hie 
squad  of  uncounted  footmen  should  be  added  to  thi'  lunuber. 
The  little  party  of  Georgians  seem  to  have  been  united 
with  Williams'  men,  and  served  to  swell  that  small  corps  ; 
Chronicle's  South  Fork  boys  helped  to  make  up  the  Lincoln 
force  under  Graham  ;  while  the  feu  footmiMi  douhlless 
generally  joined  their  respective  corps,  though  some,  like 
Spelts,  united  with  the  column  mo:*^  convenient  to  them 
when  die  lime  of  trial  arrived. 

*The  official  report  signed  by  Campbell,  Shelby  and  Cleveland,  says  nine  hundred  was 
the  number  selected ;  Shelby's  account  in  Haywood  and  Katnscy,  and  in  the  American 
Kmieto  says  nine  hundred  and  ten;  Colonel  Hill's  MS,  narrative  gives  nine  hundred 
and  thirty-three  as  the  ruiniber,  Ramsey's  Kinotution  in  S>ii/h  Ctiiolimi,  17S5  ;  Gordon's 
Aiiieriiiiit  ll'iir,  1788;  and  Moultrie's  Meiiioirs,  1802,  .ill  yive  the  number  as  nine  hundred 
and  ten.  So  docs  General  Graham  in  his  King  s  .Mountain  narrati-'e.  General  Davidson, 
in  his  letter  til  General  Siimnor,  October  10.  1780.  says  sixteen  hundred  wa^  tln^  luiniber 
selected — a  palpable  error,  or  evaggeralion — which  was  copieil  by  Marshall  into  ilie  first 
edition  of  his  I.i/c 0/  li'ashiitgL'ii 

"  It  is  not  easy."  says  Rev.  Mr.  I.athan.  "  to  determine  with  any  degree  of  certainty, 
the  cvact  numlierof  Americans  enRaged  in  the  baiile  of  Kmg's  Mountain."  It  is  as  acLuraiely 
known  as  the  numbers  are  in  military  operations  generally,  by  following  the  olVh  i.d  and 
other  reliable  reports,  and  discarding  palpable  errors  nnd  exaggerations — such  for  in-iance, 
as  that  which  this  writer  gives  that  the  South  Carolinians  under  Hill  and  Lacey  "  .iin.'unted 
(0  near  two  thousand." 


228 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


It  proved  a  very  dark  night,  and  to  add  to  the  un- 
pleasantness and  ditllcuhy  of  the  march,  a  drizzly  rain  soon 
set  in,  which,  Shelby  says,  was,  at  least  part  of  the  time, 
excessively  hard.  While  the  road  was  pretty  good,  as 
Silas  McBee  represents,  who  was  raised  on  Thicketty  creek 
in  that  region,  3'et,  from  the  darkness  brooding  over  them, 
the  pilots  of  Campbell's  men  lost  their  way,  and  that  corps 
became  much  confused,  and  dispersed  through  the  woods, 
so  when  morning  appeared  the  rear  portion  were  not  more 
than  five  miles  from  the  Cowpens,  as  Hill's  manuscript 
informs  us.  Discovering  the  absence  of  the  Virginians, 
and  divining  the  cause,  men  were  sent  from  the  front  at  the 
dawn  of  day,  in  all  directions,  till  the  wanderers  were  found, 
who  had  taken  a  wrong  trail,  and  were  now  put  on  the 
right  road. 

Once  reunited,  with  the  light  of  day  to  guide  them,  the}^ 
pushed  forward  uncommonly  hard.  They  had  designed 
crossing  Broad  river  at  Tate's,  since  Deer's  Ferry,  as  the 
most  direct  route  to  Kin<j's  ^Mountain  :  and.  as  thev  neared 
tluit  locality,  they  concluded  to  bear  down  the  river,  some 
two  and  a  half  miles,  to  the  Cherokee  Ford,  lest  the  enemy, 
peradventure,  or  some  portion  of  them,  might  be  in  posses- 
sion of  the  eastern  bank  of  the  stream  at  Tate's  crossing, 
and  oppose  their  passage.*  It  was  near  davlight.  when  on 
the  river  hills,  in  the  neigliborhood  of  the  Cherokee  Ford, 
Gilmer  was  sent  forward  to  reconnoitre  at  the  Ford,  and 
discover,  if  possible,  whether  the  enemy  might  not  have 
waylaid  the  crossing  at  that  point,  with  a  design  of  attack- 
ing their  pursuers  in  the  river.  While  awaiting  Gilmer's 
return,  orders  were  gi.en  to  the  men  to  keep  their  guns  drv, 
for  it  was  yet  raining.  After  some  little  time.  Gilmer's  well- 
known  voice  was  heard  in  the  hollow  near  by.  singing  Bar- 
ney Linn,  a  favorite  jolly  song  of  the  times,  which  was  sufTi- 

'•' Shelby  \n  Amcricnn  Review:  Hill's  MS.  narrative;  Vance  and  McDowell's  state- 
ment; General  Joseph  Graham's  sketch  in  Sniilhrrn  Literary  Messenai'r.  September.  1845; 
(jenern!  Lenoir's  narrative  in  Wheeler's  North  Carolina,  ii,  106  ;  MS.  notes  of  conversa- 
tions with  Silas  McHee. 


I! 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


'220 


cient  notice  that  the  way  was  clear.  As  they  reached  the 
river,  it  was  about  sunrise.  Orders  were  given,  that  those 
having  the  hirgest  horses  sliould  stem  the  current  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  stream.  Not  much  attention  was  paid  to 
the  order.  Thougli  the  river  was  deep,  it  was  remarked 
that  not  a  soHtary  soldier  met  with  a  ducking.*  They  had 
now  marched  some  eighteen  miles  since  leaving  the  Cow- 
pens,  and  were  yet  some  fifteen  miles  iVom  Kings 
Mountain. 

After  passing  the  river,  Gilmer  was  again  sent  forw  ard 
to  make  discoveries,  and  dashed  oft'  at  full  gallop.  The 
officers  rode  at  a  slow  gait  in  front  of  their  men — the  latier. 
as  if  getting  somewhat  wearied  of  the  pursuit,  would  some- 
times indulge  in  an  oath,  adding  that  if  they  were  to  have  a 
battle,  they  could  wish  to  engage  in  it,  and  have  it  soon  over. 
Some  three  miles  above  the  Cherokee  Ford,  thev  came  to 
Ferguson's  former  encampment,  where  the}'  halted  a  short 
time,  taking  such  a  snack  as  their  wallets  and  saddle- 
bairs  aftbrded — scantv  at  best,  and  manv  entirelv  destitute. 
Coming  to  a  cornfield  by  the  roadside,  the  mountain  men 
would  soon  pull  it,  cutting  some  of  tl  raw  corn  from  the 
cob  for  their  own  sustenance,  and  hauling  a  supply  fijr  their 
horses. 

The  rain  continued  to  fall  so  heavily  during  the  forenoon, 
that  Colonels  Campbell,  Sevier  and  Cleveland  concluded 
from  the  weary  and  jaded  condition  of  both  men  and  beasts, 
that  it  was  best  to  halt  and  retresh.  Many  of  the  horses 
had  given  out.  Riding  up  to  Shelby,  and  apprising  him  of 
their  views,  he  roughh^  replied  with  an  oath:  "I  will  not 
stop  until  niglit,  if  I  follow  Ferguson  into  Cornwallis" 
lines."  Without  replying,  the  other  Colonels  returned  to 
their  respective  commands,  and  continued  the  march. 
The  men  could  only  keep  their  guns  dry  by  wrapping 
their  bags,  blankets,  and  hunting  shirts  around  the  locks, 

''MS   notes   nf   conversations  w':h    Silas   McHce  ;  Lenoir's   narrative;  and    Penjamin 
Sharp's  statement  in  the  American  Pioneer. 


'  \  1 


1  H 


.  BR 


Ml 


M 


r 


II!  " 


230 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


thus  leaving  their  own  persons  unpleasantly  exposed  to  the 
almost  incessant  storm}-  weather  which  they  had  encountered 
since  leaving  the  Cowpens.  Proceeding  but  a  mile  after  the 
proposed  halt,  the}'  came  to  Solomon  Reason's,  who  was  a 
half- Whig,  half-Loyalist,  as  occasion  required,  where  they 
learned  that  Ferguson  was  onl}-  eight  miles  in  advance  ;  and 
there,  too,  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  a  couple  of 
Tories,  who,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  were  made  to  pilot  the 
army  to  King's  Mountain — one,  as  related  by  McBee,  ac- 
companying Shelb}-,  the  other  Cleveland.  The}'  gave  some 
account  of  the  situation  of  the  enemy,  which  revived  the 
hopes  of  all,  that  they  would  soon  gain  the  object  they  were 
so  anxiously  seeking.  Another  gratifying  circumstance 
was,  that  the  rain  ceased  about  noon,  and  cleared  off  with 
a  tine  cool  breeze.  When  the  mountaineers  had  advanced 
five  miles  further,  some  of  Sevier's  men  called  at  the  house 
of  a  Loyalist,  seeking  information,  when  the  men  would  only 
say  that  Ferguson  was  not  far  away.  As  they  departed, 
a  girl  followed  the  riflemen  out  of  the  building,  and  in- 
quired:  "How  many  are  there  of  you?"  ''Enough,"  was 
the  reply,  "  to  whip  Ferguson,  if  we  can  find  him."  "lie 
is  on  that  mountain,"  she  said,  pointing  to  the  eminence 
three  miles  distant.* 

After  traveling  several  miles,  the  officers  in  front  de- 
scried the  horse  of  Gilmer,  the  scout,  fastened  at  a  gate 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mih  ahead.  They  gave  whip  to 
their  steeds,  and  rode  at  fi;il  speed  to  the  place ;  and  on 
going  into  the  house,  found  Gilmer  sitting  at  the  table  eat- 
ing. "You  d — d  rascal,"  exclaimed  Colonel  Campbell, 
"we  have  got  you!"  "A  true  King's  man,  by  G — ,"  re- 
plied Gilmer.  In  order  to  test  the  scout's  ability  to  sustain  his 
assumed  character,  Campbell  had  provided  himself  with  a 
rope,  with  a  running  noose  on  it  after  the  style  of  a  lasso, 

*MS,  notes  of  conversations  with  Colonel  George  Wilson,  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in 
1S44.  derived  from  AIex.indcr  Greer,  one  of  Sevier's  men.  Greer  was  a  noble  specimen 
of  the  pioneer  soldier ;  liecame  a  Colonel  of  militia  in  after  years,  and  died  on  Dutk  river, 
Bedford  County,  Tenncsgcc,  in  February,  i8to. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


231 


and  threw  it  over  Gilmer's  neck,  swearing  that  they  would 
hang  him  on  the  bow  of  the  gate.  Chronicle  begged  that 
he  should  not  be  hung  there,  for  his  ghost  would  haunt  the 
women,  who  were  present  and  in  tears.  Campbell  acqui- 
esced, saying  they  would  reserve  him  for  the  lirst  conveni- 
ent over-hanirinir  Hmb  that  thev  should  come  across  on  the 
road.  Once  fairly  beyond  sight  of  the  house,  a  few  hundred 
yards,  the  rope  was  detached  from  Gilmer's  neck,  and  he 
permitted  to  remount  his  horse.  He  then  stated  the  intelli- 
gence he  had  gained  :  That  on  reaching  the  house,  and 
finding  it  occupied  by  a  Tor}-  family,  he  declared  that  he  was 
a  true  King's  man  ;  and  wished  to  ascertain  Ferguson's 
camp,  as  he  desired  to  join  him.  Finding  the  two  women  at 
the  house  warmly  attached  to  the  King's  cause,  he  could  not 
repress  his  joy,  so  gave  each  a  hearty  sympathizing  smack  ; 
the  youngest  of  whom  now  freely  related,  that  she  had  been 
in  Ferguson's  camp  that  very  morning,  which  was  only 
about  three  miles  away,  and  had  carried  the  British  com- 
mander some  chickens ;  that  he  was  posted  on  a  ridge 
between  two  branches  where  some  deer  hunters  had  a  camp 
the  previous  autumn.  Major  Chror.icle  and  Captain  Mat- 
tocks stated  that  the  camp  referred  to  was  theirs,  and  that 
they  well  knew  the  ground  on  which  Ferguson  had  taken 
post — a  spur  of  King's  Mountain. 

As  they  now  had  recent  knowledge  of  Ferguson's  posi- 
tion, the  officers  led  by  Campbell  rode  n  j,liort  distance  by 
themselves,  agreeing  upon  a  plan  of  attack,  and  freely  re- 
ported it  to  the  men  for  their  encouragement ;  assuring  them 
that  by  surrounding  Ferguson's  army,  and  shooting  at  them 
on  their  part  up-hill,  there  would  consequently  be  no  danger 
of  our  men  destroying  each  other,  and  every  prospect  of 
success  would  be  theirs.  It  was  a  question,  whether  the 
moimtaineers  were  numerous  enough  to  surround  the  entire 
ridiie  on  all  sides — for  thev  did  not  then  know  its  exact 
length.  But  the  scheme  was  heartily  approved  by  all.  The 
officers  without  stopping,  began  to  agree  upon  the  position 
each  corps  was  to  occupy  in  the  attack. 


i  I 


I      ( 


iif 


y',l' 


1     V 


ill 


''ittt 


232 


JC/NG ' 5  MO  UNTAIN 


Colonel  William  Graham,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the 
I^incoln  men,  and  had  rendered  good  service  the  past  sum- 
mer in  connection  with  Shelby  in  the  Spartanburg  region, 
and  had  so  successfully  defended  his  fort  on  Bullalo  creek, 
received  at  this  point  certain  intelligence  that  his  wife  was 
in  a  precarious  condition,  some  sixteen  miles  away,  near 
Armstrong's  Fonl  on  the  South  Fork,  and  his  presence  was 
imperatively  demanded  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
When  he  stated  the  case  to  Colonel  Campbell,  the  latter 
replied  tluit  if  he  could  venture  to  remain,  share  in  the  im- 
pending battle,  and  carry  the  tidings  (jf  victory  to  his  com- 
panion, it  would  prove  the  best  possible  intelligence  to  her. 
Turning  to  Chronicle,  also  from  the  South  Fork,  Campbell 
inquired,  as  if  the  Major  knew  something  of  the  urgency 
of  the  case — "  Ouiiht  Colonel  Graham  to  have  leave  of 
absence?"  "I  think  so.  Colonel,"  responded  Chronicle; 
'•as  it  is  a  w^oman  atlair,  let  him  go."  Leave  of  absence 
was  accordingly  granted  ;  and  David  Dickey,  much  against 
his  washes,  was  assigned  as  an  escort.  Campbell,  judging 
that  Major  Chronicle  was  a  younger  and  more  active  oflicer 
than  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hambright,  observed  to  the  Major 
— "Now  you  must  take  Graham's  place;"  and  turning  to 
Hambright,  Campbell  asked  if  lie  liad  any  objections.  lie 
generously  said,  it  was  his  wish  that  Chronicle  should  do 
so,  as  he  best  knew  the  ground.  As  this  was  sadsfactorily 
arranged.  Chronicle  exclaimed,  "Come on,  m^' South  ji^ork 
boys,"  and  took  the  lead.* 

When  within  two  or  three  miles  of  King's  Mountain, 
Sevier's  advance  managed  to  capture  two  or  three  more 
Tories,  who  were  out  spying,  from  whom  corroborati\-e 
information  was  derived  of  the  position  of  Ferguson's  camp, 
and  of  the  locality  of  his  picket  guard. f     Soon  after,   a 


*This  statement  conceriilnR  rFllmer's  adventures  the  plan  of  the  battle,  and  Colonel 
liraham.  is  taken  from  the  MS  Vance-McDowell  narrative,  and  no  doubt  this  portion  was 
furnished  by  Robert  Henry,  one  of  Chronicle's  party. 

t  Ilenjamin  Sharp's  statement ;  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  Colonel  George  Wilson, 
derived  from  Alexander  Greer;  Lathan's  Sketch,  14. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


238 


youth,  named  Jolin  Ponder,*  some  fourteen  years  of  age, 
was  met  riding  in  great  haste,  while  another  account  says 
he  was  captured  in  an  old  field — probably  taking  a  circuit- 
ous course  for  Charlotte.  Colonel  IIambriy;ht  knowinjj;  that 
this  lad  had  a  brother  and  other  relatives  in  Ferguson's 
camp,  caused  his  prompt  arrest.  On  searching  him,  a  fresh 
dispatcli  from  Fergus(jn  to  Cornwallis  was  found,  manifest- 
ing great  anxiety  as  to  his  situation,  and  earnestly  renew- 
ing his  request  for  immediate  assistance.  The  substance 
of  the  dispatch  was  made  known  to  the  men,  without,  how- 
ever, mentioning  Ferguson's  strength,  which  he  seems  to 
have  given,  lest  his  numbers  should  tend  to  discourage  them. 
Interro<;atin<f  youni;  l\)nder  as  to  tlie  kind  of  dress  Ferj>"u- 
son  wore,  he  replied  that  while  that  ofhcer  was  the  best 
uniformed  man  on  the  mountain,  they  could  not  see  his 
military  suit,  as  he  wore  a  checked  shirt,  or  duster,  over  it. 
Colonel  IIambri<rht  at  once  called  the  attention  of  his  men 
to  this  peculiarity  of  Ferguson's  dress:  "  J[?//,  ^^j-.v,"  said 
he,  in  his  broken  Pennsylvania  German  accent,  '■'■zuhcti  you 
sec  dot  man  iii//  a  pig-  shirt  on  over  his  clothes,  you  may  know 
who  him  is,  a)id  mark  him  mil  your  rifles.'"  \ 

As  they  approaclied  within  a  mile  of  the  enemy,  tlie}' 
met  George  Watkins,  a  good  Wliig,  who  had  been  a 
prisoner  with  Ferguson ;  and  having  hi-en  released  on 
parole,  was  now  on  his  way  home.  He  was  able  to  give 
the  very  latest  information,  with  the  assurance  that  the 
enenn-  sdll  maintained  tlieir  position  on  the  mountain. 
Here  a  brief  halt  was  made.  Hitherto  the  men  had 
been  mostly  unembodied — marching  singly,  or  in  squads, 


♦General  Joseph  Graham,  in  his  King's  Mountain  narrative,  gives  the  name  as  Fonde- 
rin,  which  Dr.  Hunter  in  his  Sketches  xsiieMs.  liut  Colonel  J.  R.  Logan,  who  has  lived 
all  his  life  cif  some  seventy  years  in  the  King's  Mountain  region,  and  whose  grandfalhcr, 
William  Logan,  was  in  the  battle,  states  that  all  the  aged  persons  of  that  section  of  country 
unite  in  declaring  that  the  youth  s  name  was  John  Ponder.  A  Mr.  Dover,  says  Colonel 
Logan,  was  likewise  met  on  the  march,  and  impart':d  some  information  to  the  Whig 
leatlers  of  Ferguson's  movements  and  whereabouts;  and  the  families  of  the  Ponders  and 
Dovcrs  still  reside  in  Vork  County,  South  Carolina,  ami  Cleveland  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, while  Ponder's  Branch  of  King's  creek  is  a  well-known  stream  in  that  quarter, 

•rOeneral  Graham's  King's  ^^ollntain  narrative;  MS,  correspondence  of  Abram  Hardinj 
Hunter's  IVestern  Xorth  Carolina,  306-7. 


1  f 

j| 

|P  ^ 

Mm 

234 


A'/JVG '  S  A/0  UNTAIN 


as  mi^ht  best  suit  their  convenience;  "  but  little  subordi- 
nation," says  Colonel  Hill,  *'  had  been  required  or  ex- 
pected." The  men  were  now  formed  into  two  lines,  two 
men  deep — Colonel  Campbell  leading  the  right  line,  and 
Colonel  Cleveland  the  left.*  The  ollicers  renewedly  adopted 
the  plan  of  attack  already  suggested,  to  surround  the  enemy  ; 
but  Williams,  as  Colonel  Hill  states,  dared  not  appear  at  the 
council,  in  consequence  of  his  recent  eflbrt  to  mislead  the 
Wliig  Colonels.  The  strictest  orders  were  given  that  no 
talking  would  be  allowed  on  the  march,  which  was  faithfully 
obeyed,  every  mail  seeming  as  dumb  as  the  poor  brute  that  he 
rode.f  It  was  somewhere  near  this  point,  that  Major  Winston 
was  detached,  with  a  portion  of  the  Wilkes  and  Surry  troops, 
to  make  a  detour,  apparently  south  of  the  Qiiarry  I'oad,  to 
gain  the  right  of  Ferguson. J 

After  passing  Whistnant's  Mill  creek,  the  mountaineers 
followed  the  ridge  road  past  what  is  now  the  Antioch  Bap- 
tist church,  thence  northerly  till  they  intersected  the  road 
leading  from  North  Carolina  to  Yorkville,  along  which 
latter  they  marched  to  the  right,  a  nearly  south-easterly 
course,  crossing  Ponder's  Branch,  and  another  upper  prong 
of  King's  creek,  by  wa}^  of  Colonel  Ilambright's  subsequent 
improvements,  and  through  a  gap  in  the  moimtain  to  the 
battle  hill.  Or,  as  General  Graham  describes  the  line  of 
March  after  passing  King's  creek,  "they  moved  up  a  branch 
and  ravine,  between  t\vo  rocky  knobs ;  be^-ond  which  the 
top  of  the  mountain  and  the  enemy's  camp  upon  it,  were  in 
full  view,  about  a  hundred  poles  in  front." 

This  route  by  way  of  Antioch  church  and  Ponder's 
Branch  was  quite  circuitous,  north  of  the  old  Qiiarry  road. 
The  traditions  of  the  King's  Mountain  region  are  more  or 
less  contradictory  ;  but  the  statements  of  the  best  informed 
indicate  this  as  the  course  pursued  ;  §  and  probably  this 


*  James  Crow's  statement. 

T  Statement  of  Hon.  John  F.  Darby  of  St.  Louis,  derived  from  his  grandfather,  one  of 
Campliell's  men. 

J  General  Lenoir's  narrative. 

§  MS.  statement  of  Colonel  J.  R,  Logan, 


II 


^rnfrnifc. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


235 


indirect  way  was  taken  in  order  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat, 
.should  the}'  atU-iript  a  flii^ht  towards  Charhjtte  when  the 
Whigs  shoukl  make  their  forniidahk'  appearance.  In  tlie 
rear  of  trees  and  huslies,  on  the  east  side  of  King's  creek, 
a  little  aboN'e  where  the  Q^iarry  road  passes  that  stream,  the 
mountaineers  arrived  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
when  the  word  "  halt "  was  given.  Then  they  were  ordered 
to  "  dismount  and  tie  horses  ;  "  next  to  "  take  off  and  tie  up 
great-coats,  blankets,  etc.,  to  your  saddles,"  as  it  had  been 
rainy  the  preceding  night,  and  till  within  the  past  three 
hours  ;  luul  a  fi'W  men  were  designated  to  take  charge  of 
the  horses.  Then  came  the  fmal  general  order:  "Fresh 
prinw  your  guns,  and  evor\'  man  go  into  battle  iirmly  re- 
solving to  fighl  till  he  dies'."'  *  No  such  word  as  fail  entered 
into  tlie  composition  or  calculations  of  Campbell  and  his 
men.  Never  was  the  war-cry  of  the  ancient  Romans  more 
ceaseless  and  determined,  that  Carthage  must  he  destroyed, 
than  was  that  of  the  mountaineers — to  catch  and  destroy 
Ferguson  ! 


■•'Hon.  J.  F.  Darby's  narrative;  General  Graham's  statement;    Shelby's  memoir  in 
American  Review ;  Latham's  Sketch  of  Kitts  s  Mountain. 


23G 


A  JAG'S  MOUNTAIN 


i|! 


CHAPTER  XIT. 


King's  Mountain  Battle,  October  7ih,  1780. 


Fi-rgtisou  iiiid  /lis  Mill  Urso/iu-  to  /•/{,'///. —  T/ir  Bayonet  t/irir  Mai)i  Re- 
liance.— liritis/i  Stre/ix//i. —  Character  of  the  Provincial  Rani^ers. — 
Different  Classes  of  Loyalists  />escril>e(f. —  Traits  of  the  Mountain- 
eers.—  The  Holston  Men,  and  Frontier  AiiTentitres. — .Issii^'/tinent 
of  the  IVhii,'-  Corps  to  the  Attack.—  Campbeirs  Appeal  to  his  Men. 
—  Winston's  niis-.ldventiires. —  Cleveland  not  the  I'irst  to  Conintence 
the  Action. — Siirpn'sini^  the  J-lneiny's  Piclcet. — Shelby  s  Colinnn  An- 
noyed by  the  Enemy. —  Campbell's  Men  Kt/sh  into  the  Fii:;ht — At- 
tack on  the  British  Main  Guard. —  'The  \'iry;inians  Advance  up  the 
Mountain. — March  of  Cleveland' s  Men — Patriotic  Speech  of  their 
Commander — Drive  in  a  Picket. — Movements  of  Lacey's  Men. — 
Campbell's  Corps  Driven  before  the  Bayonet — Rally,  and  Renau 
the  Contest. — Shelby,  too.  Retired  before  the  C/'<?;;i,'7;/;'-  Columns. — 
The  Rii^ht  and  Left  JVin^s  take  part  in  the  Action. —  Culbertson's 
Heroism  — Captain  Moses  Shelby  Wounded. — Ensign  Campbell  Dis- 
lodi:;ini^  Tories  from  their  Rocky  Ramparts. —  Terrific  Character  of 
the  ConJIiet. — .Imusinc;  Incident  of  one  of  Lacey's  Men. — Heroic 
Efforts  of  Campbell  and  his  Corps. — Ensign  Campbell's  Good  Con- 
duct.—  Captain  Ju/inondson's  Exploit  and  Death. —  Lieutenant 
Recce  Bo7i'en's  Disdain  of  Danger,  and  his  Lamented  Fall. —  Camp- 
bells Active  Efforts  and  Heroic  Appeals. — Death  of  Major  Chron- 
icle.—  The  South  Fork  Boys  Charged,  and  Several  Wounded. — 
Robert  Henry  Transfixed,  and  yet  Sunnved  all  his  Associates. — 
William  Twitty  and  Abram  Forney. —  Clei'cland  and  his  Men. — 
Lieutenant  Samuel  Johnson  and  other  Wounded  Officers. — Intre- 
pidity of  Charles  Gordon  and  Dai'id  Wither.spoon. — Singular 
Adventure  of  Charles  Boiuen  and  Colonel  Cleveland. 

Ferguson  had  caret'ully  posted  his  Provincial  corps  and 
drilled  Loyalists  alon<r  the  crest  of  the  mountain,  exlendin<f 
from  nearly  one  end  to  the  other.  They  had  no  thought  of 
retreatin<r  from  their  pursuers.  We  have,  indeed,  no  evi- 
dence that  thev  really  knew  that  the  Back  Water  men  were 


, 


H 


n 


o 


$!i 


pM) 


AND  /TS  HEROES. 


237 


so  closi'ly  upon  them.  It  is  true  that  one  account  states, 
that  the  liritisli  descried  in  the  far  distance  "u  thick  cloud 
of  cavahy,"*  apparently  referring'  to  thick  clouds  of  dust 
prochiced  hy  ;i  hu"^e  l)ody  of  horsemen  ;  but  this  could 
not  ha\e  been  so,  for  the  country  was  then  covered  with 
timber,  whicli  would  have  prevented  any  such  discovery  ; 
and  it  had,  moreover,  rained  many  successive  hours  during 
the  preceding  night  and  the  fore  part  of  Uiat  day,  so  that 
there  was  no  dust  from  which  any  clouds  could  arise.  At 
any  rate,  the  enemy  maintained  their  position,  either  'ope- 
fully  or  sullenly  determined  to  fight  to  the  last. 

Ferguson's  Provincials — or  Rangers,  as  Tarleton  terms 
them — were  not  a  jK-rmanent  corps,  but  made  up  for  special 
service,  from  other  Provincial  bodies — die  King's  American 
Regim(Mit,  raised  in  and  around  New  York,  the  Qiieen's 
Rangers,  and  the  New  Jersey  Volunteers.  These  Colonial 
troops  were  clad,  in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  in  green  ; 
afterwards,  as  a  rule,  they  wore  scarlet  coats. f  The 
Provincials  were  well  trained,  and  Ferguson  relied  largely 
upon  them  in  consequence  of  their  practised  skill  in 
the  use  of  the  bayonet;  and,  in  case  of  necessity,  for  such 
of  his  Tory  troops  as  were  without  that  implement,  he  had 
provided  each  wiUi  a  long  knife,  made  by  the  blacksmiths 
of  the  country,  the  butt  end  of  the  handle  of  which  was 
fitted  the  proper  size  to  insert  snugly  in  the  muzzle  of  the 
rifle,  with  a  shoulder  or  button  two  inches  or  more  from 
the  end,  so  that  it  could  be  used  as  an  eflective  substitute 
for  a  bayonet. 

What  was  the  exact  strcngdi  of  I'i'erguson's  force  cannot 
with  certainly  be  determined.  Tarleton  says,  beside  his 
corps  of  Rangers  —  which  numbered  about  one  hundred  — 
he  had  not  far  from  one  thousand  Loyal  MiliUa,t  while 
some  British  accounts  put  the  number  as  low  as  eight  hun- 


, 


*  History  i^f  the  War  in  America.  TVublin.  1785,  iii.  149. 
t  MS.  Corrcspnnclencc  of  Gen.  J.  W.  DePeyster. 
X  Southern  Cuiii/nii^iis,  156. 


^^^^^f^^^'M^  iAy»"nnw.is 


=31 


238 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


M 


iii^ 


clred.  The  American  oflicial  report,  professing  to  gain  the 
information  from  the  enemy's  provision  returns  of  that  day, 
gives  the  number  as  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-live  ;  and 
this  tallies  pretty  closely  with  Tarleton's  statement.  There 
is.  however,  some  reason  to  suppose  that  about  two  hundred 
Tories  left  camp  that  day,  perhaps  on  a  scout,  but  more 
likely  on  a  foraging  expedition. 

It  is  litting,  in  this  connection,  to  speak  of  the  character 
of  these  Loyalists,  here  arrayed  on  King's  Mountain,  and 
about  to  engage  in  a  memorable  conflict  against  tlieir  com- 
mon countrv — for  they  were  all,  or  nearly  all,  save  Fergu- 
son himself,  natives  of  tlie  Colonies.  Now  that  Dunlap  was 
separated  from  them,  Ferguson's  corps  of  Rangers  seem  to 
have  been  quite  as  unobjectionable  a  class  of  men  as  the 
temptations  and  unrestrained  recklessness  of  war  ordinarily 
permit  the  military  to  be  ;  and,  though  they  had  fled  betbre 
Captain  Hampton  in  their  retreat  from  Earle's  Ford  of  North 
PacoleU  and  had  recoiled  before  the  galling  fire  of  Shelby 
and  Clarke  near  Cedar  Spring,  the  summer  preceding,  yet 
they  were  experienced  soldiers,  and  were  by  many  account- 
ed as  brave  and  reliable  as  any  British  troops  in  America. 

iUit  who  were  the  Tories  proper?  They  were  made  up 
of  dillerent  classes  of  citizens  wlio  .sympathized  witli,  or 
took  up  arms  for  the  King,  and  fouglit  against  their  fellow- 
citizens  who  were  bravely  contending  for  the  liberties  o( 
their  country.  Those  of  them  who  remained  after  the  war, 
in  their  old  localities,  were  sadlv  abu.sed  and  villilied  as  lonir 
as  they  lived.  They  hardly  dared  to  ofler  an  apologv  for 
their  conduct.  They  were  numerous  in  many  of  the  States, 
and  have  left  many  descendants,  not  a  few  of  whom  are 
among  the  most  worthy  and  respected  in  the  communities 
where  they  reside  ;  yet  none  of  them  boast  of  their  relation- 
ship to  the  Lo\'alists.  It  lias  been  the  fashion  to  stigmatize 
the  Tories  without  stint  and  without  discrimination,  heap- 
ing all  manner  of  reproaches  upon  them  and  their  class 
generally.     The  issue  of  tlie  war,  and  the  general  \erdict 


^ 


AND  ITS  JIEJWES. 


239 


of  the  Whigs,  who  had  suHercd  not  a  Httle  in  the  seven 
years'  conlhct,  seemed  to  jiistily  these  severe  judgments. 
No  one  now  supposes  that  he  would  have  been  a  l'or\ ,  had 
it  been  tiie  will  ol  I'rovidence  that  he  should  have  been  an 
actor  in  the  scenes  of  the  Revolution  a  century  ago.  As 
he  reads  the  history  oi  the  stirring  events  connected  with 
the  war,  he  concludes,  that  had  he  been  there,  he  would, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  have  been  on  the  right  side,  periling 
life  and  fortune  at  every  hazard  in  the  cause  offreidom. 

It  is  easy  enough  for  us  to  imagine,  wh.en  we  read  of 
deeds  of  humanity,  generosity,  and  noble  daring,  that  we, 
too,  would  have  acted  in  a  similar  manner  had  we  been  in 
the  same  situation  as  those  persons  were  who  perlbrmed 
them.  Few  know,  till  they  are  tried,  what  they  would  do 
under  certain  circumstances.  One's  associations,  surround- 
.  ings,  and  temptations  oftentimes  exert  an  overpowering  in- 
fluence. Let  us  judge  even  the  Tories  with  as  much  char- 
ity and  leniency  as  we  can.  Some  of  them  were  cajoled 
into  the  British  service,  and  not  a  few^  forced  into  it  under 
various  pretenses  and  intimidations. 

Rev.  James  II.  Save,  who  has  spent  his  life  of  over 
seventy  years  in  Georg  a  and  South  Carolina,  and  had 
much  intercourse  with  the  survivors  of  the  Revolution  in  his 
day,  made  the  various  classes  of  Tories  a  special  subject  of 
study  and  inquiry,  including  the  influences  that  prompted 
their  unhappy  choice,  and  grouped  them  into  six  principal 
divisions  : 

I.  There  were  some  men  in  the  country  conscientiously 
opposed  to  war,  and  every  sort  of  revolution  w  hich  led  to 
it,  or  invoked  its  aid.  They  Ix-lieved  that  they  ouglit  to 
be  in  subjection  to  the  powers  that  be  ;  and  hence  they  main- 
tained their  allegiance  to  the  British  crown.  The  (^lakers 
were  of  this  class.  They  were  then  far  more  numerous  in 
the  Carolinas  than  now.  They  wen*,  religiously,  non-com- 
batants :  and  the  weight  of  Uieir  influence  naturally  fell  on 
the  wrong  side. 


iMPHH 


wm 


'f:f 


1                                   i:| 

i 

^ 

^'     !i 

h\ 

1 

■:     r'i 

in 

I-  4 

240 


KING'S  MOUXTA/N 


2.  There  were  many  persons  who  reall}'  knew  nothing 
of  the  questions  at  issue  in  the  contest.  The  worhl  has 
always  been  cursed  with  too  hu^fre  a  stock  of  men  of  this 
class,  whose  clays  are  passed  in  profound  ignorance  of  every- 
thing which  requires  an  exertion  of  intellect,  yd  often  the 
most  self-conceited  beings  that  wear  the  human  form — per- 
fect moles,  delighting  in  nothing  so  much  as  dirt  and  dark- 
ness. This  class  followed  their  cunning  and  intri'niinij 
leaders  in  the  Revolution,  and  were  easily  and  naturally 
led  into  the  camp  of  the  Lo\'alists. 

3.  Another  class  thought  the  Government  of  George 
the  Third  too  good  to  exchange  for  an  uncertainty.  They 
praciically  said  :  "  Let  well  enough  alone  ;  a  little  tax  on 
tea  won't  hurt  us  ;  and  as  for  principles  and  doctrines,  leave 
them  to  the  lawyers  and  parsons." 

4.  Another  class  thought  that,  however  desirable  the 
right  of  self-government  might  be,  it  was  then  quite  out  of 
the  question,  unless  his  most  gracious  Majesty  might  be 
pleased  to  grant  it :  and  they  believed  that  the  fleets  and 
armies  of  Great  Britain  were  pCifectly  invincible,  while  de- 
feat and  utter  ruin  to  all  en<ra«ied  in  it  must  follow  rebellion 
against  the  King. 

5.  There  was  another  class  who  claimed  no  little  cred- 
it for  shrewdness  and  management ;  who  prided  themselves 
on  being  genteel  and  philosophical.  If  they  ever  had  scru- 
ples of  conscience,  they  amounted  to  very  little ;  if  an}-  re- 
ligious principles,  they  imposed  no  self-denial,  and  forbade 
no  sensual  gratification.  If  they  had  a  spa'-k  of  patriotism 
or  love  for  their  King,  it  could  onlv  be  kindled  by  fuel  from 
the  Government  coffers.  The  needle  is  no  truer  to  the 
pole  than  were  these  people  to  the  prospect  of  gain.  War 
is  usually  a  great  distributor  of  money  ;  they  wanted  a  lib- 
eral share,  and  wanted  to  acquire  it  easily.  On  the  fall  of 
Charleston,  when  Sir  Henry  Clinton  issued  his  proclama- 
tioii,  these  money-worshipers  discovered  in  it  a  bow  of 
promise.     Pardon  was  offered  to  all  rebels  with  one  excep- 


. 


iw 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


241 


tion  ;  and  tliat  exception  embraced  many  persons  of  large 
estates,  and  a  still  greater  number  possessing  comfortable 
means.  Here  the  shadow  of  a  golden  harvest  ilitted  before 
their  longing  eyes.  The  excepted  Wliigs  had  property 
enough  to  make  many  rich,  if  inlbrmed  against  by  the  zeal- 
ous advocates  of  the  crown  ;  or,  if  plundered  and  appropri- 
ated without  taking  the  trouble  of  making  any  report  of  the 
matter.  Feelings  of  humanity  and  tenderness  were  not 
cultivated  or  regarded — it  was  enough  tluit  the  proscribed 
Whigs  had  well-cultivated  farms,  negroes,  horses,  cattle, 
or  other  desirable  property,  and  that  they  had,  in  their  esti- 
mation, justly  forfeited  all  by  rebellii'  ;  against  the  King  and 
his  Government.  This  class  became  liie  s^xophants  to  Roval 
authority,  and  the  army  of  plundereis  during  the  war;  .  nd 
once  hardened  in  pillaging,  they  soon  became  reckless  of 
life  and  virtue. 

6.  There  was  yet  another  class  v.hich  had  a  large  fol- 
lowing among  the  Tories — a  class,  too,  which  either  on  ac- 
count of  its  numbers,  industry,  or  general  influence,  ga"\e 
character  to  a  large  portion  of  the  whole  fraternit}  .  When 
a  Revolutionary  soldier  was  asked,  "  What  sort  of  men  were 
the  Tories?''  The  almost  invariable  reply  was, '■•A  pack 
of  rogues."  An  eminent  c-xample  of  this  class  was  found 
in  the  person  of  Plundering  Sam  Brown,  already  described, 
a  notorious  robber  years  before  the  war  commenced  ;  yet, 
like  otlier  men  who  had  wealth  or  the  means  of  acquiring 
it,  he  had  numerous  friends  and  followers.  He  had  the 
shrewdness  to  perceive  that  the  field  was  well  suited  to  his 
tastes  and  habits ;  and  accordingly  rallied  his  retainers, 
joined  Ferguson,  and  for  a  time  proved  an  efhcient  ally. 
Th(nigh  he  had  been  an  outlaw  for  many  years,  yet  few 
brought  to  the  Royal  standard  a  larger  share  of  talent  for 
cunning  and  inhumanity  for  the  position  assigned  him.  He 
now  enjoyed  the  liberty  of  plundering  under  the  sanction 
of  law  and  authority,  and  of  arresting,  for  the  sake  of  re- 
ward, those  who  had  long  been  known  as  the  stanch  de- 


w 


mmm 


242 


KJNG '  S  MO  UN  TAIN 


fenders  of  honesty  and  justice.  The  notorious  Captain 
David  Fanning,  IJloody  Bill  Bates,  and  Bloody  Bill  Cun- 
niuiiliam  were  men  of  the  same  infamous  character  —  un- 
feeling,  avaricious,  revengeful,  and  bloody. 

Here,  then,  were  the  conscientious  class  of  Loyalists  ; 
an  ignorant  class  ;  an  inditlerent  class ;  a  cowardly  class  ; 
a  covetous,  mouL-y-making  class ;  and  a  disappointed,  ro- 
guish, revengeful  class.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  these 
characteristics  were  never  combined.  Several  of  them  had 
a  natural  aflinity  for  each  other,  and  were  almost  invariably 
found  united  in  the  same  person.  The  non-combatants,  the 
cowards,  and  the  indifferent  were  not  found  among  those 
arrayed  on  King's  Mountain;  but  Ferguson's  force,  aside 
from  the  young  men  who  had  enlisted  under  his  standard, 
and  a  few  wortliy  but  misguided  people,  was  largely  made 
up  of  the  worst  characters  which  war  evolves  from  the  dregs 
of  mankind.* 

In  the  confronting  ranks  was  a  very  different  class  of 
men.  Those  from  the  Holston,  under  Campbell,  were  a 
peculiar  people — somewhat  of  the  character  of  Cromwell's 
soldiery.  They  were,  almost  to  a  man,  Presbyterians,  In 
their  homes,  in  the  Holston  Valley,  they  were  settled  in 
prettv  compact  congregations  ;  quite  tenacious  of  their  re- 
ligious and  civil  liberties,  as  handed  down  from  father  to 
son  from  their  Scotch-Irish  ancestcn-s.  Their  preacher, 
Rev.  Charles  Cummins,  was  well  fitted  for  the  times  ;  a 
man  of  piety  and  sterling  patriotism,  who  constantly  exerted 
himself  to  encourage  his  people  to  make  every  needed  sac- 
rifice, and  put  forth  every  possible  exertion  in  defense  of  the 
liberties  of  their  country.  They  were  a  remarkable  body 
of  men,  both  physically  and  mentally.  Inured  to  frontier 
life,  raised  mosdy  in  Augusta  and  Rockbridge  Counties, 
Virginia,  a  frontier  region  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  they 
early  settled  on  the  Holston,  and  were  accustomed  from  their 
childhood  to  border  life  and  hardships  ;  ever  ready  at  the  tap 

*  Saye's  Memoir  of  Mcjunkin. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


243 


of  the  drum  to  turn  out  on  military  service  ;  if,  in  the  busiest 
crop  season,  their  wives,  sisters,  and  daughters  could,  in  their 
absence,  plant,  and  sow,  and  harvest.  They  were  better 
educated  than  most  of  the  frontier  settlers,  and  had  a  more 
thorough  understanding  of  the  questions  at  issue  between 
the  Colonies  and  their  mother  country.  These  men  went 
forth  to  strike  their  country's  foes,  as  did  the  patriarchs  of 
old,  feeling  assured  that  the  God  of  battles  was  with  them, 
and  that  He  would  surely  crown  their  efforts  with  success. 
They  had  no  doubts  nor  fears.  The}'  trusted  in  God — and 
kept  their  powder  dry.  Such  a  tiling  as  a  coward  was  not 
known  among  them.  How  fitting  it  was,  that  to  such  a 
band  of  men  should  have  been  assigned,  by  Campbell's 
own  good  judgment,  the  attack  on  Ferguson's  choicest 
troops — his  Provincial  Rangers.  It  was  a  happy  omen  of 
success — literally  the  forlorn  hope — the  right  men  in  the 
right  place. 

Lacey's  men,  mostly  from  York  and  Chester  Counties, 
South  Carolina,  and  some  of  those  under  Shelby,  Sevier, 
Cleveland,  Williams,  Winston,  and  McDowell,  were  of  the 
same  character — Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  ;  but  man}-  of 
them,  especiall}'  those  from  the  Nolachucky,  Watauga,  and 
lower  Holston,  who  had  not  been  very  long  settled  on  the 
frontiers,  were  more  of  a  mixed  race,  somewhat  rough,  but 
brave,  fearless,  and  full  of  adventure.  They  were  not  a 
whit  less  patriotic  than  the  Virginians  ;  and  were  ever  ready 
to  hug  a  bear,  scalp  an  Indian,  or  beard  the  fiercest  Tories 
wherever  they  could  find  them.  Such,  in  brief,  were  the 
salient  characteristics  of  the  mountaineers,  and  the  men  of 
the  up-country  of  the  Carolinas,  who  were  about  to  engage 
in  deadly  conflict  with  Ferguson  and  his  motle}'  followers. 

The  decisive  moment  was  now  at  hand,  and  the  moun- 
taineers were  eager  for  the  fray.  Campbell  and  his  corps 
commanders  had  arranged  their  forces  into  two  divisions,  as 
nearly  equal  as  they  could  conveniently  form  them,  each 
party  to  attack  opposite  sides  of  the  mountain.     Campbell 


w 


244 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


was  to  lend  his  Virginians  across  the  southern  end  of  the 
ridge,  and  sf)uth-east  side,  which  Shelby  designates  as  tlie 
cohimn  of  the  right  center ;  then  Sevier's  regiment,  Mc- 
Dowell's and  Winston's  battalions,  were  to  form  a  column 
on  the  right  wing,  north-east  of  Campbell,  and  in  the  order 
named,  imder  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sevier. 
Of  these,  Winston  had,  it  will  be  remembered,  made  a 
detour  some  distance  to  the  south  of  Ferguson,  in  order  the 
more  promptly  to  gain  the  position  assigned  him,  and  per- 
adventure  lend  a  helping  hand  in  retarding  tlie  enemy, 
should  the}'  conclude  that  a  hasty  retreat  was  the  better 
part  of  vaU)r. 

Shelln-'s  regiment  was  to  take  position  on  the  left  of  the 
mountain,  directly  oj)posite  to  Campbell,  and  form  the  left 
center — Campbell's  left  and  Shelby's  right  coming  together  ; 
and  beyond  Shelby  were  respectively  Williams'  command, 
including  Brandon,  Hammond,  and  Candler  ;  then  the  South 
Carolinians  under  Lacey,  Hathorne,  and  Steen,  with  the 
remainder  of  the  Wilkes  and  Surry  men  under  Cleveland, 
together  with  the  Lincoln  troops  under  Chronicle  and  Ilam- 
bright,  all  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  Cleveland.  B}^ 
this  disj")osition  was  the  patriot  force  arranged  in  four  col- 
umns— two  on  either  side  of  the  mountain,  led  respectively 
by  Colonels  Campbell  and  Sevier  on  the  right,  and  Shelby 
and  Cleveland  on  the  left.  It  is  reasonable  to  presume  that, 
as  Winston  had  been  detached,  when  a  mile  awav,  to  gain 
his  assigned  position  on  the  right,  that  Chronicle  and  Ham- 
bright  were  also  early  ordered  to  gain  the  extreme  left  por- 
tion of  the  mountain,  so  that  these  two  parties  should  meet 
each  other,  and  thus  encompass  the  enemy  on  that  end  of 
the  ridge. 

Before  taking  up  the  line  of  march,  Campbell  and  the 
leading  olllcers  earnestly  appealed  to  their  soldiers — to  the 
higher  instincts  of  their  natures,  by  all  that  was  patriotic 
and  noble  among  men,  to  fight  like  heroes,  and  give  not  an 
inch  of  ground,  save  only  from  the  sheerest  necessity,  and 


\ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


245 


then  only  to  retrace  and  recover  their  lost  ground  at  the 
earliest  possihle  moment.  Campbell  personally  \isited  all 
the  corps ;  and  said  to  Cleveland's  men,  as  he  did  to  all, 
"  that  if  any  of  them,  men  or  officers,  were  afraid,  to  quit 
the  ranks  and  go  home  ;  that  he  wished  no  man  to  engage 
in  the  action  who  could  not  fight ;  that,  as  for  himself,  he 
was  determined  to  light  the  enemy  a  week,  if  need  be,  to 
gain  the  victor}-."*  Colonel  Campbell  also  gave  the  neces- 
sary orders  to  all  the  principal  officers,  and  repeated  them, 
so  as  to  be  heard  by  a  large  portion  of  the  line,  and  then 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  own  regiment,  as  the 
other  officers  did  at  the  head  of  their  respective  commands.! 
Many  of  the  men  threw  aside  their  hats,  tying  handker- 
chiefs around  their  heads,  so  as  to  be  less  likelv  to  be 
retarded  by  limbs  and  bushes  when  dashing  up  the  moun- 
tain. \ 

At  length  the  several  corps  started  for  the  scene  of  con- 
flict, marching  two  men  deep,  led  on  by  their  gallant  ofii- 
cers.  Both  the  right  and  left  wings  were  somewhat  longer 
in  reaching  their  designated  places  than  had  been  expected. 
When  Winston's  party  had  marched  about  a  mile,  they 
reached  a  steep  hill,  losing  sight  of  the  other  columns,  and 
evidently  of  King's  Mountain  also.  Some  men  riding  in 
view  directed  them  to  dismount  from  their  horses,  and 
march  up  the  hill,  which  was  immediately  done,  with  the 
anticipation  of  meeting  the  eneni}-  on  its  summit ;  but,  be- 
fore they  had  advanced  two  hundred  paces,  they  were  again 
hailed,  disabused  of  their  error,  and  directed  to  re-mount 
their  horses  and  push  on,  as  King's  Mountain  was  ^et  a 
mile  away.  They  now  ran  down  the  declivity  with  great 
precipitation  to  their  horses,  and,  mounting  them,  rode,  like 
so  many  fox  hunters,  at  an  almost  break-neck  speed, 
through  rough  woods  and  brambles,  leaping  branches  and 


■X 

ii 


"■f 


'■'Statement  nf  Joseph  Phillips,  one  of  CleveKinti's  men. 

fMS.  n.nrrativc  of  Gov.  Campl)ell, 

t  Mrs.  Ellet's  Women  of  the  Revolution,  iii,   293, 


24G 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


crossing  ridges,  without  a  proper  guide  who  had  a  personal 
knowledge  of  the  countr}-.  But  they  soon  fell  upon  the 
enemy,  as  good  luck  would  have  it,  at  the  very  point  of 
their  intended  destination. 

It  was  an  erroneous  idea  of  the  South  Carolina  historian, 
Ramsay,  that  Cleveland's  men,  who  had  been  compelled 
to  make  something  of  a  circuit  to  reach  their  appointed  po- 
sition in  the  arrangement  for  the  onslaught,  were  the  first 
to  commence  the  action,  and  the  lirst  to  receive  a  bayonet 
charge  from  the  enemy.  The  official  report,  to  which 
Cleveland  gave  the  sanction  of  his  signature,  stutes  that 
Shelb}'  and  Campbell's  regiments  began  the  attack.  Such 
was  the  nature  of  the  ground,  and  the  thick,  intervening 
foliage  of  the  trees,  that  the  Whigs  were  not  discovered  till 
within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  Ferguson  ;  when  the  enemy's 
drums  beat  to  arms,  and  the  shrill  whistle  of  their  comman- 
der was  distinctly  heard,  notifying  his  followers  to  repair  to 
their  places  in  the  ranks,  and  be  ready  for  liot  work,  for 
they  well  knew  that  no  child's  play  was  in  reserve  for  them. 

A  select  party  of  Shelby's  men  undertook  to  siu-prise  a 
picket  \){  the  enemy,  of  whose  position  they  had  previous 
knowledge  and  accomplished  their  purpose  without  firing 
a  gun  or  giving  the  least  alarm.  This  exploit  seems  to 
have  occurred  some  distance  from  the  mountain,  and  was 
hailed  by  the  army  as  a  good  omen.*  Orders  had  been 
given  to  the  right  and  left  wings,  that  when  the  center  col- 
umns were  ready  for  the  attack,  they  were  to  give  the  signal 
by  raising  a  regular  frontier  war-whoop,  after  the  Indian 
stvle,  and  rush  forward,  doing  the  enemy  a'l  the  injury 
possible  ;  and  the  others  hearing  the  battle-shout  and  the 
reports  of  the  rifles,  were  to  follow  suit.  The  first  firing 
was  heard  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain  f  —  evidently 
made  by  the  ene?riy  upon  Shelby's  column,  before  they 
were  in  position  to  engage  in  the  acdon.     It  was  galling  in 

♦Sharp's  n?.rrative  in  the  American  Pioneer. 

f  Young's  auto-biography  in  the  Orion  magazine. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


247 


its  efFect,  and  not  a  little  annoying  to  the  mountaineers, 
some  of  whom,  in  their  impatience,  complained  that  it 
would  ne\er  do  to  be  shot  down  without  returning  the  lire. 
Shelby  coolly  replied,  "'press  on  to  your  places,  and  then 
your  lire  will  not  be  lost."  * 

But  before  Shelby's  men  could  gain  their  position.  Col- 
onel Campbell  had  thrown  otT  his  coat,  and  while  leading 
his  men  to  the  attack,  he  exclaimed  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
—  "'Here  they  are,  my  brave  boys;  s/ioitt  like  Ji—h  and 
fight  like  devils!'"  The  woods  immediately  resounded 
with  the  shouts  of  the  line,  in  which  they  were  heartil}' 
joined,  first  by  Shelby's  corps,  and  then  instantly  caught 
up  by  the  others  along  the  two  wings. f  When  Captain 
De  Peyster  heard  these  almost  deafening  yells  —  the  same 
in  kind  he  too  well  remembered  hearing  from  Shelby's  men 
at  Musgrove's  Mill, —  he  remarked  to  Ferguson:  "These 
things  are  ominous  —  these  are  the  d — d  yelling  boys  !  "J 
And  when  these  terrific  shouts  saluted  Ferguson's  ears,  he 
expressed  fears  for  the  result. § 

About  the  time  the  Virginians  advanced  to  the  conflict. 
Major  Micajah  Lewis,  with  his  brother,  Captain  Joel  Lewis, 
both  of  the  Wilkes  and  Surry  troops,  with  Captain  Andrew 
Colvill,  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  had  been  designated  by 
Colonel  Campbell  to  make  a  dash  on  horseback  upon  the 
British  main  guard,  half  way  up  the  spur  of  the  mountain  ; 
and  having  swept  them  out  of  the  way,  to  fall  back,  dis- 
mount, and  join  the  others  in  the  general  advance.  Here 
the  first  heav}'  firing  took  place  between  the  contending 
parties,  the  guard  commencing  it.  The  mountaineers  raised 
the  Indian  war-whoop  and  rushed  upon  the  foe,  who  soon 
retreated,  leaving  some  of  their  men  to  crimson  the  earth 
with  their  blood.  11 


■^Graham's  sketch  in  /he  Southern  Literary  Messenger,  and  Foote's  North  Carolina. 

•J- Statement  of  Jolin  Craig,  one  of  CanipbeU's  men  ;  conver!>ations  with  Gov,  David 
Campbell,  in  1844 

J  Statement,  in  1844.  of  Col   George  Wilson. 

^Gov.  Campbell's  statement. 

1  MS.  statement  of  J.  L.  Gray,  and  his  communication  in  the  Rutherford  Enquirer. 
May  24th,  1859. 


!    ; 


■iT , . ■ 


nv  " 


24S 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Wi 


One  of  the  mountaineers  came  within  rille  shot  of  a 
Britisli  sentinel  before  tiie  latter  perceived  him  ;  on  discov- 
erinL,f  the  American,  he  discharj^ecl  his  musket,  and  ran 
vvitli  all  his  speed  towards  the  camp  on  the  hill.  This  ad- 
venturous Whig,  who  had  pressed  forward  considerably  in 
advance  of  his  fellows,  quickly  dismounted,  leveled  his  rifle, 
hring  at  the  retreating  Briton,  the  ball  striking  him  in  the 
back  of  the  head,  when  he  fell  ami  expired.*  Among  the 
slain  of  the  Virginians  wjis  Lieutenant  Robert  Edmondson, 
and  John  Beatty,  the  ensign  of  ColvilTs  company,  while 
Lieutenant  vSamuel  Newell,  also  of  Colvill's  corps,  was 
wounded.  Retiring  down  the  hill,  Newell  passed  Colonel 
Campbell  and  Major  Edmondson  hurrying  on  the  regiment 
into  action. 

But  Newell  was  too  good  a  soldier  to  give  up  at  the  very 
commencement  of  the  tight ;  and  returning  some  distance, 
he  came  across  a  horse,  mounting  which  he  rode  back  to 
the  lines  to  perlbrm  his  share  in  the  conflict.! 

What  terse,  patriotic  utterances  were  made  by  the  se\-- 
eral  Whig  leaders  to  their  heroic  followers,  have  been  main- 
ly lost  to  history.  Such  words  had  their  intended  effect  at 
the  time :  but  all  were  too  intent  on  the  exciting  scenes  be- 
tbre  them,  to  treasure  up  in  their  memories  these  outbursts 
of  patriotism.  Cleveland  and  his  men,  while  passing 
around  to  the  left  of  the  mountain,  were  somewhat  retarded 
by  a  swamp\^  piece  of  ground  then  saturated  with  water ;  + 
but,  getting  clear  of  this,  Cleveland  discovered  an  advance 
picket  of  the  enemy,  when  he  made  the  following  charac- 
teristic speech  to  his  troops — nut,  under  the  circumstances, 
in  a  very  formal  manner  we  may  well  conclude,  but,  most 
likely,  by  piece-meal,  as  he  rode  along  the  lines: 

"My  brave  fellows,  we  have  beaten  the  Tories,  and  we 
can  beat  them  again.     They  are  all  cowards :  if  they  had 

♦This  incident  is  given  on  authority  of  a  writer  in  the  Rutherford  Enquirer,  May  24th, 
1859  signing  liimself  "J.  L.  fl." — J.  L.  Gray. 

+  Statements  of  Lieutenant  Newell  and  Ensign  Robert  Campbell. 
J  Sharp's  narrative. 


I     '! 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


249 


J 


the  spirit  of  men,  they  would  join  with  their  fellow-citizens 
in  supportiiiif  the  independence  of  their  country.  Wlien 
you  are  eiiL,Mged,  you  are  not  to  wait  for  the  word  of  com- 
mand from  me.  I  will  show  you,  by  my  example,  how  to 
I'ght ;  I  can  undertake  no  more.  Every  man  must  consider 
himself  an  ollicer,  and  act  from  his  own  judgment.  Fire 
as  quick  as  \()u  can,  and  stand  your  ground  as  long  as  you 
can.  When  you  can  do  no  better,  get  behind  trees,  or 
retreat;  but  I  beg  you  not  to  run  quite  ofV.  If  we  are 
repulsed,  let  us  make  a  point  of  returning,  and  rencN^ing 
the  light ;  perhaps  we  may  have  better  luck  in  the  second 
attempt  than  the  first.  If  any  of  you  are  afraid,  such  sliall 
have  leave  to  retire,  and  they  are  requested  immediately  to 
take  themselves  otV."  *  But  a  single  man,  John  Judd, 
intimated  a  preference  to  remain  behind — "  to  hold  the 
horses,"  as  he  expressed  it ;  while,  to  redeem  the  honor  of 
the  family,  his  brother,  Rowland  Judd,  went  forward,  and 
acted  die  part  of  a  brave  soldier  in  the  trying  conllict.f 
The  distance  that  Cleveland's  men  had  to  march,  with  the 
swampy  nature  of  their  route,  delayed  them  some  ten  min- 
utes in  reaching  the  place  assigned  them.  But  they  nobly 
made  amends  for  their  delay  by  their  heroic  conduct  in  the 
action.  The  picket  that  the}-  attacked  soon  gave  way,  and 
they  were  rapidly  pursued  up  the  mountain. 

Doctor  Moore  asserts,  that  it  has  always  been  the  tradi- 
tion in  the  Kind's  Mountain  reijion,  that  inasmuch  as  Col- 
onel  Lacey  rode  the  express,  and  gave  the  patriots  at  Green 
river  the  true  sitiuidon  of  Ferguson,  Colonel  Campbell  gave 
him  the  honor  of  commencing  the  battle — the  friends  of 
Campbell,  Shelb}',  Sevier,  Winston,  and  Roebuck  have  for 
each  also  claimed  the  same  honor ;  that  Lacey  led  on  his 
men  from  the  north-western  and  most  level  side  of  the 
mountain,  engaging  the  attention  of  the  foe,  while  Cleve- 


*  Ramsay's  R,-;'olution  in  South  CaroUnn,  1785,11,182-83.  This  speech  was  derived 
apparcnily  from  Colimel  Cleveland  himself. 

+  MS.  correspondiiue  of  Col.  H.  A.  Brown,  formerly  of  Wilkes  County,  N.  C,  now  of 
Maury  County,  Tennessee. 


t    ■ 


.am 


Ml 


250 


KING'S  MO  UX TAIN 


huul  and  the  other  leaders  marched  to  their  respective 
phices  of  assignment,  completely  encircling  Ferguson's 
army.  *  Judging  tVom  the  ollicial  report,  this  tradidon  has 
no  substantial  foundation  ;  yet  Lacey,  no  doubt,  anticipated 
Cleveland,  and  perluips  some  of  the  other  regimental  ami 
battalion  commandants,  in  engaging  the  attention  of  the 
enemy,  and  taking  part  in  the  conflict. 

Where  Campbell's  men  ascended  the  mountain  to  com- 
mence the  attack  was  rough,  craggy,  and  rather  abrupt — the 
most  dillicult  of  ascent  of  any  part  of  the  ridge  ;  but  these 
resolute  mountaineers  permitted  no  obstacles  to  prevent 
them  from  advancing  upon  the  foe,  creeping  up  the  accliv- 
ity, little  by  little,  and  from  tree  to  tree,  till  they  were 
nearly  at  the  top — the  action  commencing  at  long  fire,  f 
The  Virginians  were  the  first  upon  whom  Ferguson  ordered 
his  Rangers,  with  doubtless  a  part  of  his  Loyali  's,  to  make 
a  fixed  bayonet  charge.  Some  of  the  Virginians  obsti- 
nately stood  their  ground  till  a  few  of  them  were  thrust 
through  the  body  ;  but  being  unable,  with  rifles  only,  to 
withstand  such  a  charge,  they  broke  and  fled  down  the 
mountain — further,  indeed,  than  was  necessary.  ;J  In  this 
rapid  charge,  Lieuten.mt  Allaire,  of  Ferguson's  corps,  over- 
took an  oflicer  of  the  mountaineers,  fully  six  feet  high  ;  and 
the  British  Lieutenant  being  mounted,  dashed  up  beside  his 
adversar}-,  and  killed  him  with  a  single  blow  of  his  sword. § 
But  the  British  chargers  did  not  venture  quite  to  the  bottom 
of  the  hill,  before  they  wheeled,  and  quickly  retired  to  the 
summit.  Campbell's  men  ran  across  the  narrow  interven- 
ing valley  to  the  top  of  die  next  ridge.  Colonel  Campbell 
and  Major  Edmondson,  about  half  way  between  their  men 
and  the  enemy,  were  loudly  vociferating  to  their  Virginians 
to  halt  and  rally  ;  and  Lieutenant  Newell,  now  mounted, 
joined  them  in  this  effort.     The  men  were  soon  formed,  and 

*  Life  of  Lacey,  17-18. 

t  Statement  of  James  Crow,  of  Campbell's  men. 

J  Statement   of  Lieutenant  Newell. 

'i  Lieutenant  Allaires'  narrative  in  the  New  York  Royal  Gazette,  Feb.  24,  1781. 


It-;--- 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


251 


■ 


again  led  up  by  their  heroic  commaiuU'r  to  renew  the  con- 
test. *  It  was  during'  this  attack  that  Lieutenant  Robert 
Echnondson,  the  younger,  of  Captain  Uavid  Ikallie's  com- 
pany— for  tliere  were  two  Lieutenants  of  tlie  Virginians  of 
that  name — was  wounded  in  the  arm.  lie  then  siieltered 
himself  behind  a  tree,  with  one  of  his  soldiers,  John  Craig, 
who  bandaged  up  his  limb.  By  this  time  Campbell's  men 
were  successfully  rallied,  and  were  returning  to  the  charge, 
when  Edmondson  exclaimed,  "  Let  us  at  it  again  I  "  f  Of 
such  grit  was  Campbell's  Ibjlston  soldiers  composed  ;  and 
as  long  as  there  was  any  iighting  to  be  done  for  their 
country,  and  they  could  stand  upon  their  feet,  they  never 
failed  to  share  largely  in  it.  , 

Colonel  Shelbv  has  briefly  stated  his  knowledire  of  this 
heroic  m(nement  of  Campbell  and  his  men.  "On  the  iirst 
onset,"  says  Shelby,  "  the  Washington  militia  attempted 
rapidly  to  ascend  the  mountain  ;  but  were  met  by  the  British 
regulars  with  fixed  bayonets,  and  forced  to  retreat.  They 
were  soon  r.illied  by  their  gallant  commander,  and  some  of 
his  active  oflicers,  and  by  a  constant  and  well-directed  fire 
of  our  rifles  we  drove  them  back  in  our  turn,  and  reached 
the  sumir.itof  the  mountain."*  Or,  as  cited  by  Haywood, 
and  understood  to  be  also  from  a  statement  by  Shelb}- : 
"Campbell,  with  his  division,  ascended  the  hill,  killing  all 
that  came  in  his  way,  till  coming  near  enough  to  the  main 
body  of  the  enemy,  who  were  posted  upon  the  summit,  he 
poured  in  upon  them  a  most  deadly  fire.  The  enemy,  with 
fixed  bayonets,  advanced  upon  his  troops,  who  gave  way 
and  went  down  the  hill,  where  they  rallied  and  formed,  and 
again  advanced.  The  monntain  was  covered  with  ftiane 
aud  smoke,  and  seemed  to  thiinder.^''% 

While  Ferguson's  Rangers  were  thus  employed  in  their 
dashing  bayonet  charge  against  Campbell's  column,  Shelby 


i'rt 


♦Statements  of  Newell,  and  David  Campbell,  afterwards  of  Campbell's  Station,  Tenn. 

f  John  Craig's  statement. 

t  Shelby's  letter  to  Col.  Arthur  Campbell    Oct.  I2,  1780. 

g  Haywood's  Tenncstee,  71. 


I 


i«:!l 


!      Ill 


252 


KLYG '  .^  MO  UNTA  IN 


was  pressinjif  tlie  enemy  on  the  ojiposite  side  and  south- 
western end  of  the  mountain  ;  so  that  tlie  Provincials  found 
it  necessary  to  turn  their  attention  to  tliis  body  of  tlie 
mountaineers.  "Shelby,  a  man  of  the  hardiest  make,  stilV 
as  iron,  among  the  dauntless  singled  out  for  dauntlessness, 
went  right  onward  and  upward  like  a  man  who  had  but  one 
thing  to  do,  and  but  one  thouglit — to  <\o  it.  " '■  But  bra\e 
as  he  and  his  men  were,  they,  too,  had  to  retreat  before  the 
charging  column,  yet  slowly  liring  as  they  retired.  When, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  Shelby  wanted  to  bring  his  men  to 
order,  he  would  cry  out — '*  Now,  boys,  quickly  re-load  vour 
rifles,  and  let's  advance  upon  them,  and  give  them 
another  h — 1  of  a  fire  !  "  f 

Thus  were  Campbell's  and  Shelby's  men  hotly  engaged 
some  ten  minutes  before  the  right  and  left  wings  reached 
their  points  of  destination,  when,  at  length,  they  shared  in 
completely  encompassing  the  enemy,  and  joined  in  the 
deadly  *ray.  Ferguson  soon  found  that  he  had  nc^t  somach 
the  advantage  in  position  as  he  had  anticipated  ;  for  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain  was  bare  of  timber,  exposing  his  men  to 
the  assaults  of  the  bac  c-woods  riflemen,  who,  as  they 
pressed  up  the  ridge,  a\'ailed  themseKes  of  the  trees  on  its 
sides,  which  aflbrded  lliem  protection,  and  which  served  to 
retard  the  movements  of  the  British  charging  parties.  As 
the  enem^'  were  drawn  up  in  close  cokunn  on  the  crest  of 
the  mountain,  they  presented  a  fair  mark  for  the  rifles  of  the 
mountaineers,  t  and  the\-  suflered  severely  by  the  exposure, 
'^riie  famous  cavahy  Colonel,  Harry  Lee,  well  observed  of 
Ferguson's  chosen  place  for  battle — it  was  '*  uKjre  assailable 
by  the  rifle  than  defensible  with  the  bayonet." «$  /^.^,,  rjc 

Among  the  keenest  of  the  sharp-shooters  imder^^Wl^ 
was  Josiah  Culbertson,  so  favorably  noticed  elsewhere  in 
this  work.      He  had  been  selected  with  others  to  get  pos- 

'•'  nanrroft.  x.  338. 

t  MS.  statement  of  Gen   Thomas  I.ove,  il:rivcil  from  Captain  David  Vance, 

\  Shelby's  narrative  in  ttic  American  A'?wc;i<. 

JI.ec's  Memoirs  of  the   War,  revised  edition,   N.  V.,  1872,  p    200. 


I ' 


r~"~t^r^^ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


253 


session  of  an  elevuti'd  position,  for  which  a  Tory  Captain 
and  a  party  under  liim  stoutly  contended  ;  bnt  Culbertson 
and  his  riflemen  were  too  alert  for  their  antagonists,  and 
pressinj^  closely  upon  them,  forced  them  to  retire  to  some 
large  rocks,  where  Culbertson  at  length  shot  their  leader  in 
the  head,  when  the  survivors  fled,  and  soon  after  with  their 
fellows  were  compelled  to  surrender.  * 

Captain  Moses  Shelby,  a  brother  of  the  Colonel,  received 
two  wounds  in  the  acti(jn — the  last  through  his  thigh  near 
his  body,  disabling  it,  so  that  he  could  not  stand  without  help. 
He  was  assisted  down  to  a  branch,  some  distance  from  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  and  was  left  with  his  rifle  for  his  de- 
fence, should  'le  need  it.  Seeing  one  of  the  soldiers  coming 
down  too  frequently  to  tlie  branch  under  plea  of  thirst. 
Captain  Shelby  admonished  him  if  he  repeated  his  visit  he 
would  shoot  him  ;  that  it  was  no  time  to  shirk  duty,  f 

But  a  portion  of  the  Tories  had  concealed  themselves 
behind  a  chain  of  rocks  in  that  quarter,  from  which  they 
kept  up  a  destructive  lire  on  the  Americans.  As  Camp- 
bell's and  Shelby's  men  came  in  contact  at  the  south- 
western end  of  the  ridge,  Shelby  directed  Ensign  Robert 
Campbell,  of  the  Viginians,  to  move  to  the  right,  with  a 
small  party,  and  endeavor  to  dislodge  the  enemv  from 
their  rocky  ramparts.  Ensign  Campbell  led  his  men, 
under  lire  of  the  British  and  Tory  lines,  within  forty  steps 
of  them ;  but  discovering  that  the  Whigs  had  been  driven 
down  the  hill,  he  gave  orders  to  his  party  to  post  them- 
selves, as  securely  as  possible,  opposite  to  the  rocks  and 
near  to  the  enemy,  while  he  himself  went  to  the  assistance 
of  Campbell  and  his  fellow  ofllcers  in  bringing  the  regiment 
to,  order,  and  renewing  the  contest.  These  directions  were 
punctually  obeyed,  and  the  watching  part}-  kept  up  so  gall- 
ing  a  fire  with  their  well-plied   rifle   shots,    as  to  compel 


*  Washing'oii.  Imliana,  Weekly  Register,  Oct.  17,  1339. 

+  Captain    Mosus   Shelby's  SMtemcnt.      Conversation   with  Maj.  Thomas  H.  Shelby, 
son  of  Governor  Shelby,  in  i86j. 


I: 


254 


KINGS  MOUNTAIN 


iili 


FergiKson  to  order  a  stronger  force  to  cover  and  strengthen 
his  men  behind  their  rocky  defence  ;  but,  towards  the  close 
of  the  action,  they  were  forced  to  retire,  with  tlieir  demor- 
ahzed  associates,  to  the  north-eastern  portion  of  the  moun- 
tain.* 

The  battle  now  raging  all  around  the  mountain  was  almost 
terrific.  '•  When  that  conflict  began,"  exclaimed  the  late 
eloquent  Bailie  Peyton,  of  Tennessee,  "  the  mountain 
appeared  volcanic ;  there  flashed  along  its  summit,  and 
around  its  base,  and  up  its  sides,  one  long  sulphurous 
blaze."  t  The  shouts  of  the  mountaineers,  the  peals  of 
hundreds  of  rifles  and  muskets,  the  loud  commands  and 
encouraging  words  of  the  respective  officers,  with  every 
now  and  then  the  shrill  screech  of  Ferguson's  silver 
whistle  high  above  the  din  and  confusion  of  the  battle, 
intermingled  with  the  groans  of  the  wounded  in  every  part 
of  the  line,  combined  to  convey  the  idea  of  another  pande- 
monium. 

Colonel  Lacey  and  his  gallant  South  Carolinians,  who 
had  seen  hard  service  under  Sumter  on  manv  a  well-fought 
field,  rushed  forward  to  share  in  the  contest.  At  the  very 
first  fire  of  the  enemy.  Colonel  Lacey 's  fine  horse  was  shot 
from  under  him.  With  a  single  exception  these  South 
Carolinians,  mosth'  from  York  and  Chester,  proved  them- 
selves worthy  of  the  high  reputation  they  had  gained  on 
other  fields.  That  exception  was  an  amusing  one — a  man 
who,  at  heart,  was  as  true  a  patriot  as  could  be  fi)und  in  the 
Carolinas  :  but  who  constitutionally  could  not  stand  the  smell 
of  powder,  and  invariabh-  ran  iti  the  very  first  fire, 
W^hen  about  going  into  action  to  fight  Ferguson  and  his 
Tories,  his  friends,  knowing  his  weakness,  advised  him  to 
remain  behind.  "No,"  said  he,  indignantly,  "I  am 
determined  to  stand  my  ground  to-day,  live  or  die.'"  True 
to  his  instinct,  at  the  very  first  fire  he  took  to  his  heels,  as 


*  Ensign  CampbelVs  narr.itivc ;  liis  statement,  also,  as  published  in  i8a3. 
+  Mr.  Peyton's  speech  in  Congress,  January  i6th,  1834. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


255 


usual.  After  the  battle  was  over,  when  he  returned,  his 
friends  chided  him  for  his  conduct.  "  From  the  lirst  tire," 
said  he,  by  way  of  apolojf\-,  "  I  knew  nothing  whatever 
till  I  was  gone  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  ;  and  when 
I  came  to  myself,  recollecting  my  resolves,  I  tried  to  stop; 
but  my  confounded  legs  would  carry  nic  off!''  *  But  for- 
tunately his  associates  were  made  up  of  better  material, 
and  rendered  tlieir  c<)untr\    i^ood  service  on  this  occasion. 

No  regiment  had  their  courage  and  endurance  more 
severely  tested  than  Campbell's.  They  were  the  lirst  in 
the  onset — the  lirst  to  be  charged  down  the  declivity  by 
Ferjjuson's  Rany^ers — and  the  first  to  ralh"  and  retiu-n  to 
the  contest.  Everything  depended  upon  successfully  rally- 
ing the  men  when  lirst  driven  down  the  mountain.  Had 
they  have  become  demoralized  as  did  the  troops  at  Gates' 
defeat  near  Camden,  and  as  did  some  of  Greene's  militia 
at  Guilford,  thev  would  have  brouijht  disgrace  and  disaster 
upon  the  Whig  cause.  When  repulsed  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet,  the  well-known  voice  of  their  heroic  commander 
bade  them  "  lialt  I — return  my  brave  fellows,  and  you  will 
drive  the  enemy  immediately  I  "f  lie  was  promptly  obeyed, 
for  Campbell  and  his  otlicers  had  the  full  confidence  and 
control  of  their  mountaineers.  They  bravely  faced  about, 
and  drove  the  enemy,  in  turn,  up  the  mountain.  In  these 
desperate  attacks,  many  a  hand-to-hand  fight  occurred,  and 
many  an  act  of  heroism  transpired,  the  wonder  and  admir- 
ation of  all  beholders  ;  but  there  were  so  many  such  heroic 
incidents,  where  all  were  heroes,  that  only  the  particulars 
of  here  and  there  one  have  been  handed  down  to  us. 
Ensign  Robert  Campbell,  at  the  head  of  a  charging  party, 
with  singular  boldness  and  address,  killed  Lieutenant 
McGinnis,  a  brave  ofllcer  of  Ferguson's  Rangers.  I 

Captain  William  Edmondson,  also  of  Campbell's  regi- 
ment, remarked  to  John  McCrosky,  one  of  his  men,  that 


*  Moore's  /.//"c  i?/"  I.ncey,  i8. 

fSiatement  of  David  Campbell,  of  Campbell's  Station,  who  shared  in  the  action. 

X  Ramsey's   Tennesste,  240. 


!  r' 


anBiMMi 


II 


I 


256 


A'/NG  'S  J/0  UXTAIN 


he  was  not  satisfied  with  his  position,  and  dashed  forward 
into  the  hottest  part  of  the  battle,  and  ,there  received  the 
charge  of  UePeyster's  Rangers,  discharged  his  gun,  then 
clubbed  it  and  knocked  the  rille  out  of  the  grasp  of  one 
of  tlie  Britons.  Seizing  him  by  the  neck,  he  made  him  his 
prisoner,  and  brouglit  him  to  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Returning 
again  up  the  mountain,  he  bravely  fell  fighting  in  front  of 
his  company,  near  his  beloved  Colonel.  His  faithful 
soldier,  McCrosky,  when  the  contest  was  ended,  went  in 
search  of  his  Captain,  found  him,  and  related  the  great 
victory  gained,  when  the  dying  man  nodded  his  salifaclion 
of  tlie  result.  The  stern  Colonel  Campbell  was  seen  to 
brush  away  a  tear,  when  he  saw  his  good  friend  and  heroic 
Captain  stretched  upon  the  ground  under  a  tree,  with  one 
hand  clutching  his  side,  as  if  to  restrain  his  life  blood  from 
ebbing  away  until  tlie  battle  was  over.  lie  heard  the  sliout 
of  victory  as  his  commander  and  friend  grasped  his  other 
hand.  He  was  past  speaking  ;  but  he  kissed  his  Colonel's 
hand,  smiled,  loosed  his  feeble  hold  on  life,  and  the 
Christian  patriot  went  to  his  reward.* 

Lieutenant  Reece  Bowen,  who  commanded  one  of  the 
companies  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  was  observed  while 
marchinti  forward  to  attack  tlie  enemv,  to  make  a  hazard- 
ous  and  unnecessary  exposure  of  his  person.  Some  friend 
kindly  remonstrated  with  him — "Why  Bowen,  do  you  not 
take  a  tree — why  rashly  present  }ourself  to  the  deliberate 
aim  of  the  Provincial  and  Tory  riflemen,  concealed  beliind 
every  rock  and  bush  before  you? — death  will  inevitably 
follow,  if  you  persist."  "Take  to  a  tree,"  he  indignantly 
replied — "  no  I— never  shall  it  be  said,  that  I  sought  safety 
by  hiding  my  person,  or  dodging  from  a  Briton  or  Tory 
who  opposed  me  in  the  field."  Well  iijid  it  been  for  liim 
and  his  countiy,  had  he  been  more  prudent,  and,  as  his 

*  Ramsey's  Tennessee.  240-41 ;  GenernI  John  S.  Preston's  Address  at  the  King's  Moun- 
tain Celebration  in  October.  1855  p.  (Vi.  Ramsey  states,  th.it  Captain  F.dmon(!=on  received 
a  mortal  wound  in  the  breast,  while  Charles  Rmven,  one  of  his  soldiers,  says  he  was  shot 
in  the  head.     He  may  have  been  shut  both  in  the  head  and  body. 


[ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


25'; 


superiors  had  advised,  taken  slielter  whenever  it  could  be 
found,  for  lie  had  scarcely  concluded  his  brave  utterance, 
when  a  riile  ball  struck  him  in  the  breast,  lie  fell  and 
expired.  * 

The  "  red-haired  Campbell — the  claymore  of  the  Arg^de 
gleaming  in  his  hand,  and  his  blue  eye  glittering  with  a 
lurid  llame,"  wherever  he  was,  dashing  here  and  there 
along  the  line,  was  himself  a  host.  His  clarion  voice  rang 
out  above  the  clash  of  resounding  arms  and  the  peals  of 
successive  riflery,  encouraging  his  heroic  mountaineers  to 
victor}-.  And  thus  the  battle  raged  with  increased  fury — the 
mountain  men  constantly  gaining  more  confidence,  and 
steadily  lessening  the  number  of  their  foes. 

Nor  were  the  other  columns  idle.  Major  Chronicle 
and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ilambright  led  their  litde  band  of 
South  Fork  boys  up  the  north-east  end  of  the  mountain, 
where  the  ascent  was  more  abrupt  than  elsewhere,  save 
where  Campbell's  men  made  their  attack.  As  they  reached 
the  base  of  the  ridge,  with  Chronicle  some  ten  paces  in 
advance  of  his  men,  he  raised  his  military  hat,  crying  out — 
"Face  to  the  hill  I  "  He  had  scarcely  uttered  his  conmiand, 
when  a  ball  struck  him,  and  he  fell ;  and  William  Rabb, 
within  some  six  feet  of  Chronicle,  was  killed  almost  in- 
stantly thereat'ter.  The  men  steadily  pressed  on,  under  the 
leadership  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ilambright,  Major  Joseph 
Dickson,  and  Captains  Mattocks,  Johnston,  White,  Espey 
and  Martin — a  formidable  list  of  oflicers  for  so  small  a  body 
of  men  :  but  they  all  took  their  places  in  the  line,  and  f(Hight 
with  determined  heroism.  Before  they  reached  the  crest  of 
the  mountain,  the  enem^^  charged  bayonet — said  to  have 
been  led  by  DePeyster — first  firing  ofi' their  guns,  by  which 
Robert  Henry  supposed  that  Captain  Mattocks  and  John 
Boyd  vvere  killed,  and  W^illiam  Gilmer,  a  brother  of  the 


''Garden's  Anecdotes,  second  series,  p.  212.   presumably  communicated  for  that  work 
by  JiiciRe  Peter  Johnston,  of  Ahin(»don,  Virginia,  a  distinguished  uiriuer  of  Lee's  Legion 
during   the   Revnhition,  and  the  ancestor  of    the  present  Oen.  Joseph  E.    Johnston,  and 
Hon.  John  W.  Johnston,  United  States  Stnator  from  that  State. 
17 


mmmm 


258 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


1  I 


noted  scout,  and  John  Chittim  wounded — the  latter  of 
Captain  Martin's  company,  was  shot  in  his  side,  makini^  an 
orifice,  tlu'ough  which,  according  to  tradition,  a  silk  hand- 
kerchief could  be  drawn,  and  yet  he  recovered,  living  to  a 
good  old  age.  * 

One  gallant  young  felk)W,  B'.obert  Henry,  then  in  his 
sixteenth  year,  had  taken  his  position  behind  a  log  stretched 
across  a  hollow  ;  and  was  getting  ready  to  give  the  enemy 
another  shot,  when  the  bayonet  chargers  came  dashing 
along.  One  of  the  enemy  was  advancing  rapidly  on 
young  Henry,  who  was  in  the  act  of  cocking  his  gun,  when 
his  antagonist's  bayonet  glanced  along  Henry's  gun-barrel, 
passing  clear  through  one  of  his  hands,  and  penetrating  into 
his  thigh.  Ilenr}-,  in  the  viclii\  had  shot  the  Tory,  and 
both  fell  to  the  ground — the  young  Whig  hero  completely 
transfixed.  Henry  was  pretty  well  enveloped  in  powder- 
smoke  ;  but  sad  and  helpless  as  was  his  condition,  he  could 
not  help  observing  that  man}^  of  his  South  Fork  friends 
were  not  more  than  a  gun's  length  ahead  of  the  Tory  b.13'- 
onets,  and  the  farthest  could  not  have  exceeded  twenty  feet, 
when  they  fired,  with  deadly  efiect,  upon  their  pursuers, 
and  retired  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  quickl3'  re-loading,  and 
in  turn  chasing  their  enemies  up  the  mountain. 

William  Caldwell,  one  of  Henry's  companions,  seeing 
his  situation,  pulled  the  bayonet  out  of  his  thigh  ;  but  find- 
injx  it  vet  stickini;  fast  to  the  young  soldier's  hand,  cfave  the 
wounded  limb  a  kick  with  his  boot,  which  loosened  the 
bloody  instrument  from  its  hold.  Henry  suffered  more  in 
the  operation  of  extracting  the  bayonet,  thuii  when  the 
Briton  made  the  eflective  thrust,  driving  it  through  his  hand 
and  into  his  thigh.  Again  upon  his  feet,  he  picked  up  his 
gun  with  his  lUiinjured  hand,  and  found  it  empty — how,  he 
could  not  tell ;  but  supposed,  as  he  received  the  terrible 
bayonet  thrust,  that  he  must,  almost  instinctivel}',  have 
touched  the  trigger,  and  discharged  his  rifle,  and  that  the 


■MS.  letter  of  Dr.  C,  L.  Hunter. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


259 


ball  must  have  cut  .some  main  artery  of  his  antagonist,  as 
he  bled  profusely.* 

Another  incicU-nt  of  the  battle  :  Wlien  William  Twitty, 
who  behaved  so  gallantly  in  the  defence  of  Graham's  Fort 
the  preceding  summer,  and  now  serving  among  the  South 
Fork  or  Lincoln  bo3S,  discovered  that  his  most  intimate 
crou}-  had  been  shot  down  by  his  side,  he  believed  that  he 
knew  from  the  powder-smoke,  from  behind  which  tree  the 
fatal  ball  had  sped  ;  and  watching  his  oppoi  tunit}-  to  avenge 
the  death  of  his  friend,  he  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  soon  he 
observed  a  head  puking  itself  out  from  its  shelter,  when  li<> 
quick)}'  fired,  and  the  Tory  fell.  After  the  battle,  Twitty 
repaired  to  the  tree  and  found  one  of  his  neighbors,  a  well- 
known  Loyalist,  with  his  brains  blown  out.f  ,^«itN^-«^ 

Abram  Forney,  a  brave  soldier  of  Captain  rWiH4it«> 
Johnston's  company,  of  the  Lincoln  men,  used  in  after 
years  to  relate  this  inci'lent  of  tlu'  battle:  When  the  contest 
had  become  warm  and  well-maintained  on  both  sides,  a 
small  party  of  Whigs,  not  relishing  the  abundance  of  lead 
flying  all  around  them,  and  occasionally  cutting  down  some 
gallant  comrade  at  their  side,  concluded  to  take  temporary 
slieker  behind  an  old  hollow  chestnut  tree — a  mere  shell — 
which  stood  near,  and  from  its  walls  to  pour  tbrth  a 
destructive  lire  upon  the  enemy.  The"  British,  however, 
presently  observed  the  quarter  whence  this  galling  fire 
proceeded,  and  immediateh'  returned  their  compliments  in 


*MS.  narrntivc  of  Robert  Henry;  MS.  li:t  cr  of  Robert  C.  Oill.im,  Sept  29th.  1358, 
givinff  statement  ■  derived  from  .in  interview  with  Mr.  Henry. 

Mr.  Henry  was  burn  in  .1  rail  pen,  in  then  Rowan,  now  Iredall  Coun'.y.  North  Carolina, 
January  10th,  1765.  Full  of  patriotism,  though  youn,i;.  he  shared  in  the  triaK  anti  perils  of 
the  Revolution,  and  in  due  time  recovered  from  the  severe  wounds  he  rei  eived  at  King  s 
Mountain.  In  1795.  he  was  one  of  the  party  who  ran  the  boundary  line  between  North 
Carolina  and  Tennessee.  He  subsequently  studied  law,  and  practised  his  profession  many 
years  in  Buncombe  County.  He  served  in  the  House  of  Commons  in  1833  and  1834.  He 
was  a  clear  anil  forcible  pnl)!ic  speaker  ;  and  his  memory  deserves  to  be  held  in  j;ratefu! 
remembrance  for  preserving  the  narrative  of  the  King's  Mountain  cantpaii;n  and  battle,  so 
frequently  cited  in  this  work.  He  died  in  the  new  County  of  Clay,  Noith  Carolina, 
January  6th,  1863,  within  four  days  of  attaining  the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety-eight  years, 
and  he  was  undoubtedly  the  last  of  the  heroes  of  King's  Mountain. 

•J- MS.  correspondence  of  Wm.  L.  Twitty,  grandson  of  William  Twitty. 


11  i 


IM 


2G0 


A'/A(;S  MOUNTAIN 


the  shape-  of  «'i  few  well-aimed  volleys  at  the  old  shell,  com- 
pletely perforating  it  with  balls,  and  finally  shivering  it  in 
pieces.* 

When  Cleveland's  regiment  hastened  to  their  appointed 
place  of  attack,  under  a  heavy  lire  while  on  tlio  wa)-,  their 
brave  commander  exclaimed,  pointing  signilicantly  to  the 
mountain,  "Yonder  is  your  enemy,  and  the  enemy  of 
mankind!"  They  were  soon  hoUy  engagetl  with  the 
Lo3'alists  lining  tlie  brow  of  the  eminence  before  them. 
From  the  Colonel  dt)wn  to  the  humblest  private  they  all 
heartily  detestt'd  Tories,  and  fouglU  them  with  a  resolute 
determination  to  subdue  tliem  at  all  hazards.  They  souglit 
all  natural  places  of  protection — trees,  logs,  rocks,  and 
bushes;  when  Cleveland  would,  ever  and  anon,  vocifer- 
ously urge  onward  and  upward  his  troops— "a  little  nearer 
to  them,  my  brave  men  I  "  And  the  men  of  Wilkes  and 
Surry  would  then  dart  from  their  places  of  concealment,  and 
make  a  dasli  for  more  advanced  positions.  Occasionally 
one  of  their  number  wouUl  fall,  which  only  served  to  nerve 
on  the  survivors  to  punish  the  Tories  yet  more  efTectually. 

In  one  of  these  bold  and  dashing  forays,  Lieutenant 
Samuel  Johnson,  of  Captain  Joel  Lewis'  company,  was  more 
adventurous  than  prudent,  and  found  himself  and  men  in  a 
most  dangerous  and  exposed  position,  wliicli  resulted  in  the 
loss  of  several  of  his  soldiers,  and  receiving  himself  a  severe 
wound  in  the  abdomen.  Three  bullet  holes  were  made  in 
one  skirt  of  his  coat,  and  four  in  the  other.  After  Lieuten- 
ant Johnson  had  fallen,  and  while  the  contest  was  yet 
fiercely  raging  around  him,  he  repeatedly  threw  up  his 
hands,  shouting — '^  Ilitzza.,  boys!''''  The  salvation  of  his 
life  was  attributed  to  the  scanty  amount  of  food  he  had  taken 
during  the  three  days  preceding  the  battle,  so  difficult  had 
it  been  to  obtain  it.  f  Of  his  fellow  officers  of  Cleveland's 
regiment  who  were  also  among  the  wounded,  were  Major 


♦  Dr.  C.  L.  Hunter,  in  Wheeler's  North  Carolina,  ii,  245. 

f  Pension  statement  of  Johnson's  widow,  substanti-  ted  by  surviving  witnesses. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


2(>l 


Miciijiih  Li'wis,  Captain  Joel  Lewis,  Captain  Minor  Smith, 
and  Lieutenant  James  AL  Lewis  ;  the  three  wounded  Lewises 
were  brothers,  and  a  noble  triumvirate  they  were.  Danii'l 
Siske  and  Thomas  Bicknell  were  amon<^  the  killed  of  the 
Wilkes  regiment,  as  the  manuscript  records  ot' that  county 
show. 

Many  a  mortal  combat  and  hand-to-hand  rencontre, 
took  place  in  this  part  of  the  line.  Charles  Gordon,  appar- 
ently a  young  otlicer,  made  a  cjuick,  bold  movement  into 
the  midst  of  the  enemy,  seizing  a  Tory  ollicer  by  his  cue. 
and  connnenced  dragging  him  down  the  mountain,  when 
the  fellow  suddenly  drew  and  discharged  his  pistol,  break- 
ing Gordon's  left  arm  ;  whereupon  the  latter,  with  his  sword 
in  hand,  killed  the  ollicer  outright.  The  whole  allair  was 
but  the  work  of  a  moment,  and  was  regarded  at  the  lime  as 
an  intrepid  act — a  prodigy  of  valor.  *  David  Witherspoon, 
also  of  Cle\eland's  regiment,  in  getting  into  close  quarters, 
discovered  one  of  the  enemy  prostrate  on  the  groimd, 
loading  and  firing  in  rapid  succession.  Witherspoon  drew 
his  rifle  on  him  and  llred,  when  the  Red  Coat,  wounded, 
pitched  the  butt  of  his  gun,  in  submission,  towards  his 
antagonist,  thrcnving  up  his  hands  imploring  meixx-  ;  and 
when  Witherspoon  reached  him.  he  found  his  mouth  full  of 
balls,  chewing  them  so  as  to  make  ihein  jagged,  and  rendt  r 
the  wounds  they  might  inilict  more  fatal,  f 

Early  in  ..e  engagement.  Colonel  Cleveland's  noble 
•steed,  "Roebuck,"  received  two  wounds,  and  he  had  to  dis- 
mount ;  vet,  nnwieldly  as  he  was,  he  managed  under  the 
excitement  surrounding  him,  to  keep  fully  up  with  his  men, 


*MS.  statci.u:nts  of  Rev.  Z.  H.  Gordon,  and  Mrs  Sarah  C,  Law,  nephew  and  niece  of 
the  hero  of  this  alvenlnre.  Charles  Gordon  was  a  native  of  the  Frcdcrickshnri;  region,  in 
Virginia,  early  set. ling  in  wliat  suhsequenlly  liecanie  Wilkes  (.'ounty,  Nnrtli  Carolina, 
where  he  filled  pnhlic  positions,  anil  hecanie  a  Major  in  the  militia.  He  married  a  dauyliter 
of  General  Lenoir,  dyini;  near  what  is  now  Patterson,  Caldwell  Connty,  in  that  Slate. 
March  24,  1799.  ^'  '''^  •''Se"  of  ahont  thirty-seven  years  Charles  (1,  McDowell,  of  Shnfords- 
ville.  N.  C,  and  the  l.idy  of  Hon  James  C.  Harper  of  I'atterson,  are  his  grandchildren, 
and  Mr'!.  C.  A.  Cilloy.  of  Lenoir,  N    C,  is  his  great  sranddanghtcr. 

v  MS.  letter  of  Ciil.  J,  W.  Witlierspoon,  a  son  of  David  Witherspoon,  Nov.  J5,  iSSo, 
giving  the  incident  as  related  to  him  by  his  father. 


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KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


and,  with  rifle  in  hand,  galhintly  fulfilHng  all  the  duties  of 
the  occasion  ;  until  he  was  at  length  reino  uited,  one  of  his 
men  bringing  him  another  horse.  *  An  incicitit  occurred, 
near  the  close  of  the  contest,  of  an  exciting  character,  and 
which  very  nearly  cost  the  heroic  Colonel  his  life.  Charles 
Bowen,  of  Captain  William  Edmondson's  company,  of 
Campbell's  regiment,  heard  vaguely  that  his  brother,  Lieu- 
tenant Reece  Bowen,  had  been  killed,  and  was  much  dis- 
tressed and  exasperated  in  consequence.  On  the  spur  of 
the  moment,  and  without  due  consivl«_i"ation  of  the  danger 
he  incurred,  he  commenced  a  wild  and  hurried  search  for 
liis  brother,  hoping  he  might  yet  find  him  in  a  wounded 
condition  onl}'.  He  soon  came  across  his  own  fallen  Cap- 
tain Edmondson,  shot  in  the  head,  and  dying  ;  and  hurry- 
ing from  one  point  to  another,  he  at  length  found  himself 
within  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  of  the  enemy,  and  near  to 
Colonel  Cleveland,  when  he  slipped  behind  a  tree. 

At  this  time,  the  eneni}-  began  to  waver,  and  show 
signs  of  surrendering.  Bowen  promptly  shot  down  the  first 
man  among  them  who  hoisted  a  flag ;  and  immediately,  as 
the  custom  was,  turned  his  back  to  the  tree,  to  re-load, 
when  Cleveland  advanced  on  foot,  suspecting  from  the 
wildness  of  his  actions  that  he  was  a  Tory,  and  demanded 
the  countersign,  which  Bowen,  in  his  half-bewildered  state 
of  mind,  had,  for  the  time  being,  forgotten.  Cleveland, 
now  confirmed  in  his  conjectures,  instantly  levelled  his  rifle 
at  Bowen's  breast,  and  attempted  to  shoot ;  but  fortunately 
it  missed  fu'e.  Bowen  enraged,  and  perhaps  hardly  aware 
of  his  own  act,  jumped  at  and  seized  Cleveland  by  the 
collar,  snatched  his  tomahawk  from  his  belt,  and  would  in 
anotlier  moment  have  buried  it  in  the  Colonel's  brains,  had 
not  his  arm  been  arrested  by  a  soldier,  named  Buchanan,  who 
knew  both  parties.  Bowen,  now  coming  to  himself,  recol- 
lected the  countersign,  and  gave  it — "  Buford  ;"  when 
Cleveland  dropped  his  gun,  and  clasped  Bowen  in  his  arms 

*  Sharp's  narrative. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


263 


for  joy,  tliat  each  had  so  narrowly  and  unwittingly  been  re- 
strained Irom  sacrificing  tlie  other.*  Well  has  a  noble 
South  Carolina  orator,  a  grandson  of  the  illustrious  Camp- 
bell, described  him-"  Cleveland,  so  brave  and  yet  so 
gentle !"  f 


♦Bowen's  MS.  pension  statement,  1832,  then  of  Rlonnt  County,  Tenn 
f  Ocn.  John  S.  Preston's  King's  Mountain  Address.iSss,  p.  60. 


204 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


The  Battle.— October  7th,  1780. 


Furtlier  Progress  and  Incidents  of  ilic  Contest. — Heroic  Act  of  William 
Robertson. —  Thomas  Robertson  Shoots  a  Tricky  Tory, —  Treatrient 
of  the  Tory,  Branson,  by  Captain  Withroiu. —  Captain  Lenoir  s 
Part  in  the  Battle. —  Captain  Robert  Sevier  Wounded. — Alarm 
concerning  Tarleton. — Mistake  caused  by  Campbell's  Bald  Faced 
Horse. —  CamphelTs  Daring  Reconnoitre. — Anecdote  of  Cleveland. 
—  Colonel  Williams'  Patriotic  Conduct. —  William  Giles  "Creased" 
— Revives,  and  Renews  the  Fight. —  Thomas  Young's  Relation  of 
Colonel  Williams'  I-'all. — Major  Hammond's  Desperate  Charge, 
and  singular  Premonition  of  one  of  his  Men. —  Campbell  and  .Shelby 
Reneiving  the  Attack. — Lieutenant-  Colonel  Hambright  Wounded. — 
Ferguson's  Pride  and  Recklessness — Attempting  to  Fscape,  is 
Mortally  {Founded. —  Various  Statements  of  Colonel  Williams' 
Fall. — Furious  Charge  of  Campbell's  and  Shelby's  Men.  Several 
Corps  driven  down  the  Mountain. — British  Over-Shoot  the  Whigs. — 
North  Carolina  Tories  first  to  Weaken. —  Colonel  Graham's  Cnex- 
pectcd  Return. — Ferguson's  Fall — DePeyster  Vindicated. —  U  'higs 
slow  to  Recognise  the  White  Flag. —  3  oung  Ser'ier's  .Shooting 
Paroxysm. — Efforts  of  Shelby  and  Campbell  to  (Juell  the  Firing  of 
the  Whigs. —  Three  Rousing  Cheers  for  the  Great  Victory. — 
Colonel  Williams'  Shot — an  Exciting  Scene. —  Conflicting  Stories 
of  his  Fatal  Charge. — British  Ofjicers  Surrender  their  Swords. — 
Ferguson's  Heroic  Conduct  in  the  Battle — his  Mistakes. — He  was 
Mortally  Wounded,  not  Killed  Out- Right. —  Curiosity  of  the  Whigs 
to  Vie7v  his  Body. — His  Mistresses. — Privations  and  .Sufferings  of 
the  Mountaineers.  —  Strength  of  the  Tories — Absence  of  their 
Leaders. —  Their  Fighting  (Jnalities. — Dismay  of  the  Southern 
British  Commanders. —  Their  Ignorance  of  the  Over-Mountain 
Whig  Settlements. — Boone  not  on  the  Campaign. — Duration  of  the 
Battle. — Strength  and  Lttsses  of  the  British  and  Tories. —  Colonels 
yohn  and  Patrick  Moore. — Number  of  Prisoners  Taken. — Errors 
in  Reports  of  Losses. — Names  of  Whigs  Killed  and  Wounded. — 
Death  of  Captain  Sevier. —  William  Moore  Wounded. — Remarkable 
Losses  in    Campbell's  Regiment. —  Captains    Weir  and    Shannon 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


2G5 


i 


Arrii'c  — Counting  the  Dnu/. —  Caring  for  tlie  Wounded. — Guard- 
ing the  I'i isoners. —  Seareify  of  Provisions. —  Kings  Mountain 
Sou:'enirr. —  Heart-Rending  .Scenes  of  the  Patile-Field. —  The 
JSight  ajier  the  Action. 

All  the  dincrent  corps  fought  Avell  at  King's  Mountain. 
The  15urkc  and  Ruthcn-ford  battalion,  under  McDowell  and 
Hampton,  performed  their  lull  share  in  the  engagement. 
Among  Hampton's  men  was  William  Robertson,  who 
during  the  light  was  sliot  completeh-  through  the  body,  the 
ball  entering  at  one  side,  and  passing  out  at  the  other. 
He  fell  quite  helpless  to  the  ground.  His  wound  was 
apparently  mortal,  and  chancing  to  recognize  one  of  his 
neighbors  lying  down  near  him,  he  anxiously  inquired  if  he, 
too,  was  wounded.  The  reply  was,  that  his  gun  was  choked, 
or  something  of  tiic  kind,  and  would  not  lire.  Robertson 
then  gave  him  his  rifle.  "Give  me  3'our  shot-bag,  also, 
old  fellow,"  he  added,  for  his  own  supply  was  exhausted. 
With  his  own  liiiUd  the  fallen  patriot  delivered  him 
his  ammunition.  But  God  was  better  to  the  woundinl 
hero  than  his  fears  ;  for  in  due  time  he  recovered,  and  raised 
a  family,  living  near  Britti.in,  in  Rutherford  Count}-,  on 
the  farm  now  occupied  by  ^^^illiam  L.  Twitty.  * 

Thomas  Robertson,  a  brother  of  the  wounded  man,  was 
posted  behind  a  tree,  whiMi  a  Tory  neighbor,  named 
Lallerty,  discovering  him,  called  him  by  name;  and  Rob- 
ertson peering  around  the  tree  to  see,  if  he  could,  who  had 
spoken  to  him,  when  a  ball  sped  quickly  past  him,  cutting 
the  bark  of  the  tree  near  his  head.  Rol;  -Ison  instantly 
fired  back,  before  his  antagonist  could  regain  his  position, 
mortally  wounding  the  tricky  Tory,  who  was  near  enough 
to  exclaim,  and  be  heard,  '^  Robertson,  you  have  ruined 
me  I"  "  The  d — 1  help  you,"  respo..ded  the  Whig,  and  then 
re-loading  his  rifle,  renewed  tht;  fight  for  freedom.  A  Tory 
named   Branson    was    wounded  and  fell  :    and  seeing    his 


*Gen.  Lenoir,  ill  Wheeler's  Nortli    CnroHnn.  ii,  107;  MS.  correspondence  ol    Wm.  L. 
Twitty,  who  derived  the  incidLMit  from  A.  13.  Lung. 


■ti, 

li 


\f»'-- 


m 


2GG 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Wlii^  brothcr-iii-law,  Captain  James  Witliro\v,of  TTampton's 
men,  boLT^od  liis  relation  to  assist  him.  "Look  to  your 
friends  lb)  helo,"  was  the  response,  evincive  of  the  bitter- 
ness that  existed  between  the  Whigs  and  Loyalists  in  those 
times.  * 

All  of  Captain  William  Lenoir's  company-  of  Cleveland's 
regiment,  save  half  a  dozen,  remained  behind  with  the  other 
footmen  at  Green  river,  while  the  Captain  himself  went 
forward  in  a  private  capacity,  falling  into  line  wherever  he 
Ibund  it  most  convenient — liiihtinjj;  *'  on  his  own  hook." 
He  fell  in  immediately  behind  Winston's  men,  in  front  of 
the  right  hand  column,  where  he  could  see  what  was  going 
on  under  McDowell  and  Hampton.  He  says  he  advanced 
the  nearest  wa\'  toward  the  enemy,  under  a  hea\}'  tire, 
until  he  got  within  thirty  paces.  He  noticed  the  particular 
instance  of  bravery-  just  related  of  William  Robertson. 
"About  that  time,"  he  adds,  "I  received  a  slight  wound 
in  my  side,  and  another  in  my  left  arm  ;  and,  after  that,  a 
bullet  went  through  my  hair  above  where  it  was  tied,  and 
my  clothes  were  cut  in  several  places. "f  Participating  in 
this  close  and  hotly-contested  action,  it  is  sutlicienUy  evident, 
was  no  child's  play  to  those  engaged  in  it. 

Sevier's  column  at  length  gained  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
driving  the  enemy's  left  fiank  upon  his  center.  \  But  they 
were  not  subjected  to  an^^  bayonet  charges — save  a  portion 
of  the  left,  who  hastened  to  the  support  of  Campbell's  regi- 
ment, when  hard  pressed,  and  became  intermingled  with 
them.  Captain  Robert  Sevier  was  mortally  wounded 
towards  the  close  of  the  action,  and  becoming  faint  and 
thirsty,  was  assisted,  by  his  brother,  Joseph  Sevier,  some 
distance  to  a  hollow,  where  there  was  a  spring  of  water. 

The  last  time  Campbell  and  Shelby's  men  were  driven 
down  the  declivity,  the  mountaineers  learned  in  some  way — 

*  MS.  correspondence  of  W.  L.  Twitty,  who  .ndds.  that  the  gun  that  Thomas  Robert- 
son used  in  the  liattle.  is  in  the  possession  of  one  of  his  decemlants. 

i"  General  I, enojr's  narrative,    in  Wheeler's    North    Carolina,  i'l,  107. 
I  Onicial  report  of  the  Colonels  to  General  Gates, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


2G7 


perhaps  by  deceptive  sliouting  on  the  part  of  tlie  enemy — 
that  Tarleton  with  his  horse  had  come,  which  seemed  tor  tlie 
moment  to  have  a  dispiriting  etlect ;  when  the  officers,  inchid- 
ing  Colonel  Sevier,  rode  along  the  line,  calling  upon  the 
men  to  halt,  assuring  them  that  Tarleton  was  not  there  ;  and 
if  he  were,  they  could  also  make  him,  like  Ferguson's 
Rangers,  turn  their  backs,  and  flee  up  the  mountain.  This 
time  the  riflemen  pressed  upon  the  enemy  widi  the  utmost 
lirmness  and  determination.  * 

In  the  beginning  of  the  action.  Colonel  Campbell's 
famous  Biud  F'acc,  a  black  horse,  proving  skittish,  he  ex- 
changed him  with  his  namesake,  a  Mr.  Campbell,  of  his 
own  corps,  for  a  bay  animal ;  and  Bald  Fare  was  sent  to 
the  rear,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Colonel's  servant, 
John  Broddy,  who  was  a  tall,  well-proportioned  mulatto, 
and  in  the  distance  very  much  resembled  his  master,  f 
Broddy's  curiosity  prompted  him  to  ride  up  within  t\\o 
hundred  yards  of  the  raging  batUe,  saying  "  he  had  come 
to  see  what  his  inaster  and  the  rest  were  doing."  \  Broddy, 
with  his  coat  off,  and  sitting  upon  Bald  Fare,  unwittingly 
deceived  Colonels  Shelby  and  Sevier,  Captain  Moses 
Shelby,  and  perhaps  others,  into  the  belief  that  it  was  Col- 
onel Campbell  himself,  intently  watching  at  a  respecttul 
distance,  Uie  progress  of  the  engagement.  But  Campbell  wixs 
all    this  time  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  riding  his   bay 


*  Conversations  with  Colonel  G.  W.  ''eviei,  son  of  Colonel  Sevier. 

f  Colonel  Cleveland  was  something  of  a  wag.  While  in  camp,  en  route  lor  King's 
Mountain,  the  obese  and  jolly  Cnlonul  walked  up  t"  Canipbell's  markee,  and  seeing  him 
at  the  entrance  and  very  much  rescmliling  liis  servant,  pretended  to  mistake  him  for  the 
latter,  and  accosted  him  with—"  Halloo,  Jack,  did  yon  take  good  caro  of  my  nohle  Roe- 
bnck  when  you  feil  your  master's  horse  '.'— .Ah  !  I  ask  your  pardon.  Colonel  Caniphcll  ;  you 
and  vour  servant  look    so  much  alike,  led  to  the  mistake!"      The  joke  was  received,  as  it 


was  given,  in 


the  I 


lesc  ot  goo 


d  humor,  and  was   much   enjoyed  among  the   officers. 


This 


anecdote  was  related  to  the  author  in  i8(i  by  r.cujamin  Starritt,  of  Fayette  County,  Tenn., 
who  was  one  of  Lee's  Legion  in  the  Revolution,  and  Lee's  and  Camphv-il's  corps  fought 
together  at  the  battle  of  Guilford:  and  Starritt  personally  knew  Cleveland,  and  had  two 
brothers-in-law  under  Sevier  at  King's  Mountain. 


X  No  doubt  other 


nf  the  sons  of  Africa,  beside  Broddy,  aided   in   menial  occupations 

loun- 


on  the  campaign.      It  is  worthy   of  record,  that    "  there  is  a  tradition  in  the  King's  Mo 
tain  region,'"  says  Colonel  J.  R    Logan,   "  that  something  more  than  a  do/..-n  negroes  we 
under  arms  in  the  battle,  in  behalf  of  liberty,  and  demeaned  themselves  bravely." 


I  " 


m 


! 


n—TiMfmi 


2G8 


KIA'G'S  MOUNTAIN 


horse  till  he  became  exhausted,  when  he  abandoned  him, 
and  was  ihe  remainder  of  the  batde  at  the  head  of  his  men, 
on  foot,  with  his  coat  ofl'and  liis  sliirt  colhir  open.* 

>It  was  durini^  that  critical  period  of  the  battle,  when  the 
final  rally  of  the  V^irginians  had  been  made,  and  after  Col- 
onel Campbell's  horse  had  given  out,  that  the  intrepid  chief 
ascended  the  mountain  on  foot,  several  paces  in  advance  of 
...o  men  ;  and,  having  reached  the  point  of  the  ridge,  he 
climbed  over  a  steep  rock,  and  took  a  view  of  the  position 
of  tho  enemy  within  a  ver}-  short  distance  of  their  lines,  and 
discovered  that  they  were  retreating  from  behind  the  rocky 
rampart  they  had  hitherto  occupied  with  so  much  security 
to  themselves,  and  injury  to  the  mountaineers,  when  he 
rejoined  his  men  unharmed,  f 

Colonel  Williams,  who  felt  offended  that  his  merit — and 
his  superior  rank,  also — had  not  been  recognized  by  the  other 
Colonels,  at  lirsL  re^'used  to  take  part  in  the  battle  ;+  but  he 
could  not,  after  all,  when  the  pinch  came,  resist  so  glorious 
an  opportunity  to  do  his  country  service,  and  redeem,  it 
may  be,  the  errors  of  the  past.  Williams  wheeled  chival- 
rously into  line  on  the  left  of  Shelb}-,  exclaiming  to  his 
followers,  "  Come  on,  my  boys — the  old  wag(mer  never  yet 
backed  out."  §     Though  his   numbers  were   few',  Williams 

*  Statements  of  Lieutenant  Newell  ami  James  Snodgrass.  of  Campbell's  regiment,  and 
Thomas  Maxwell  of  Shelby's  men,  together  with  the  published  account  f  f  General  John 
Campbell,  in  the  Richmond  Etujuirer,  June  24.  1823,  with  the  appended  letter  of  "J.  C," 
dated  Washington  County,  Virginia,  June  13,  1823;  corroborated  by  statements  of  Ex- 
Governor  David  Campbell,  of  Abingdon,  Va.,  to  the  author.  General  Campbell  asserts  in 
his  article,  that  Andrew  Evins  also  declared  that  Colonel  Campbell  rode  his  bay  horse  in 
the  action  until  he  gave  out. 

William  Moore,  Israel  Hayter,  James  Keyes,  Benjamin  White,  William  Anderson,  of 
Campbell's  regiment;  Jacob  Norris,  James  Pierce,  and  Gideon  Harrison  of  Sevier's ;  and 
Joseph  Pliilli\)S,  of  Cleveland's,  also  te<;tify  to  the  fact  that  it  was  Colonel  Campbell's  bay, 
not  his  t..\Id  faced  horse  that  be  rode  in  the  action.  Much  confusion  grew  out  of  the 
mistake  lh;it  it  was  /.'.i('</  Fare  tliat  C.impbell  rode  on  the  field,  and  on  which  bewas  suppi'std 
to  have  retired  to  a  place  of  safety  long  before  the  conclusion  of  the  battle.  Sever. d  of 
Campbells  own  men,  and  those  who  were  nearest  to  him,  an<l  bad  the  best  means  of 'kuov  - 
ing.  unite  in  declaring  that  ibis  is  a  grievous  error  Sec.  also.  Southern  Literary  Messenger 
September,  1845  ;  and  Fonte's  Sketches  of  Ki>rth   Carolina.  271. 

+  Ensign  Robert  Campbell's  narrative;  //o/s/on  Intelligencer,  October,  1810. 

J  MS.  letter  of  Dr.  M.  A.  Moore  to  Dr.  J.  H.  Logan. 

J  Dr.  C    L.  Hunter,  in  Wheeler's  North  Carolina,  ii,  246, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


2G9 


had  several  good  and  experienced  partisan  ofllccrs — 
Brandon,  Ilanimond,  IIa3es,  Roebuck  and  DiUard  among 
them  ;  and  their  intrepid  example  had  an  inspiring  eflect 
upon  the  men  under  their  command. 

Among  the  "  bravest  of  the  brave  "who  fought  imder 
Williams  and  Brandon,  was  William  Giles, some  of  whose 
heroic  adventures  in  the  Union  region  in  South  Carolina, 
have  aln^ady  been  related.  The  b.tttle-field  of  King's 
Mountain  was  a  fitting  scene  for  such  a  fearless  spirit. 
During  the  contest,  into  which  he  entered  widi  his  accus- 
tomed zeal,  he  received  a  ball  through  the  back  of  his  neck, 
and  fell  as  if  dead.  William  Sharp,  his  fellow-hero,  his  neigh- 
bor, his  friend  and  relation,  stopped  a  moment,  brushed  away 
a  tear  from  his  eye,  saying — •'  Poor  fellow,  he  is  dead  ;  but 
if  I  am  spared  a  little  longer,  I  will  avenge  his  fall."  After 
firing  his  rifle  several  times,  Sharp,  to  his  astonishment,  saw 
Giles  raise  himself  up,  rest  upon  his  elbow,  and  commence 
loading  his  gun.  lie  liad  got  crcasccU  as  it  is  said  of  horses 
when  shot  through  the  upper  part  of  the  neck,  and  falling 
helpless  to  the  ground,  after  a  while  recover.  Giles  was  soon 
upon  his  feet  again,  fought  through  the  batde,  and  lived  to 
a  "food  old  aiie.  I  lis  son  of  the  same  name,  in  after  years 
represented  both  York  and  Union  Counties  in  the  South 
Carolina  Legislature.* 

Thomas  Young,  also  under  Williams  and  Brandon,  re- 
lates a  touching  incident.  An  uncle  of  his,  one  McCrarj-, 
was  then  a  prisoner  with  the  British  on  Edisto  Island  ;  and 
his  wife,  for  fear  her  husband  would  be  hung,  compelled 
her  youthful  son,  Matthew  McCrary,  to  turn  out  and  join 
Ferguson.  "Just  after  we  had  reached  the  top  of  the  hill," 
says  Young,  "Matthew  discovered  me,  and  ran  from  the 
British  line,  and  threw  his  arms  around  me  for  jo\-.  I  told 
him  to  get  a  gun  and  fight ;  he  said  he  could  not ;  when  I 
bade  him  let  me  go,  that  I  might  fight."  Whether  young 
McCrary  found  a  gun,  and  shared  in  the  engagement,  we 


1 1 


'h' 


'ShI' 


■  MS.  notes  of  Hon.  Daniel  Wallace. 


n 


K*  <.) 


i    I 

hi 


i 


I 

in 


r 


270 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


ari'  not  infonnod  ;  but  certain  it  is,  the  lad  had  thrown 
away  his  15ritish  ride,  and  the  enemy  had  one  less  follower 
amon<^  their  number.  * 

"I  wi'll  remember,"  continues  Young,  "how  I  behaved. 
Ben  llollingsuorth  and  I  took  right  up  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  ibught  our  way,  from  tree  to  tree,  up  to  the 
summit.  I  recollect  1  stood  behind  one  tree,  ami  lired 
until  the  bark  was  nearly  all  knocked  ufl',  and  my  eyes 
pretty  well  fdled  with  it.  One  fellow  slnn'ed  me  pretty 
close,  for  his  bullet  took  a  piece  out  of  my  gun-stock. 
Before  I  was  aware  of  it,  I  found  myself  apparently  between 
my  own  regiment  and  the  enemy,  as  I  judged  from  seeing 
the  paper  which  the  Whigs  wore  in  their  hats,  and  the  pine 
twigs  the  Tories  wore  in  theirs,  these  being  the  badges  of 
distinction. 

'-On  the  top  of  tlie  mountain,"  Mr.  Young  adds,  "in 
the  thickest  of  the  fight,  I  saw  Colonel  Williams  fall,  and  a 
braver  or  a  better  man  never  died  upon  the  field  of  battle. 
1  had  seen  him  but  once  before,  that  day — it  was  in  the 
beginning  of  the  action,  as  he  charged  by  me  at  full  speed 
around  the  mountain.  Toward  the  summit  a  ball  struck 
his  horse  under  the  jaw,  when  he  commenced  stamping  as 
if  he  were  in  a  nest  of  yellow  jackets.  Colonel  Williams 
threw  the  reins  over  the  animal's  neck — sprang  to  the 
ground,  and  dashed  onward.  The  moment  I  heard  the 
cr}'  that  Colonel  Williams  was  shot,  I  ran  to  his  assistance, 
for  I  loved  him  as  a  father,  he  had  ever  been  so  kind  to  me, 
almost  always  carr}ing  a  cake  in  his  pocket  for  me  and  his 
litde  son,  Joseph.  They  carried  him  into  a  tent,  and 
sprinkled  some  water  in  his  face.  As  he  revived,  his  first 
words  were,  '  For  God's  sake,  boys,  don't  give  up  the  hill !' 
I  remember  it  as  well  as  if  it  had  occurred  yesterday.  I 
left  him  in  the  arms  of  his  son  Daniel,  and  returned  to  die 
field  to  avenge  his  fall."f 

'•  Sayc's  Memoir  of  Mcjunkiit. 

7  N.irrative  of  Major  Tlionias  Voiiiig,  drawn  up  by  Col.  R.J.  Gage,  of  Union  County, 
S.  C,  and  puliiishcd  in  tlie  Orion  magazine,  Oct.  1843. 


I 


*t:-«T> 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


271 


In  one  of  the  char^a's  on  tlie  enemy.  Major  I  laniniond, 
of  Williams'  corps,  full  of  his  usual  clash  and  intrepidity, 
broke  through  the  British  lines  with  a  small  squad  of  brave 
followers,  when  the  enemy  attempted  to  intercept  tlu-ir 
return.  Seeinj^  his  own  and  solilit-rs"  perilous  situation, 
Hammond  instantly  fact-d  about,  orderinj,^  his  men  to  join 
him  in  cutting  their  way  back,  which,  by  dint  of  the  most 
heroic  eilbrts,  they  successfully  cflected.  * 

A  singular  incident  occurred,  which  Major  Hammond 
used  to  relate  in  connection  with  the  contest.  One  of  the 
men  in  his  conunand  had  fought  in  many  a  battle,  and  had 
always  proved  himself  true  as  steel.  On  the  night  preced- 
ing the  action — in  some  snatch  of  sleep,  perhaps,  while  on 
the  march — he  had  a  presentiment,  that  if  he  took  part  in 
the  impending  battle  he  would  be  killed.  Before  reaching 
King's  Mountain,  he  concluded  that  he  would,  for  once  in 
his  life,  be  justiliable,  uiuler  the  circumstances,  in  skulk- 
ing from  danger,  and  thereby,  as  he  believed,  preserve  his 
life  for  futiux'  usefulness  to  his  country.  So  he  stole  oil', 
and  hid  himself.  lie  was  missed,  when  an  orderly  wi'Ut 
in  search  of  him,  and  fmally  discovered  him  in  an  out-of- 
the-way  place,  all  covered  up,  head  and  body,  with  his 
blanket.  Though  taken  to  the  front,  he  soon  found  means 
to  absent  himself  again  ;  but  his  lurking  place  was  again 
found,  and  he  once  more  hurried  to  the  front,  just  before 
the  iinal  attack.  He  evidently  now  made  up  his  mind  to 
do  his  duty,  and  let  consequences  take  care  of  themselves  ; 
and  during  the  aclion  he  had  posted  himself  behiml  a  stump 
or  tree,  and  evidently  peering  liis  head  out  to  get  a  shot, 
received  a  fatal  bullet  in  his  forehead,  killing  him  instantly. 
Subsequently  learning  the  cause  of  his  singular  conduct  in 
endeavoring  to  evade  taking  part  in  the  contest.  Major  Ham- 
mond regretted  that  he  had  not  known  it  at  the  time,  so  that 
he  could  have  respected  the  soldier's  conscientious  cf)nvic- 

*  Olnliiary  notice  of  Col.  Samuel  Hammoml,  Soptcmher.  1842.  written  liy  his  son-in- 
law,  James  II.  R.  Washington,  corroborated  by  Mrs.  Washington  to  the  author,  as  related 
to  her  by  her  father. 


272 


A'/NG'S  MOUNTAIN 


.! 


I  •' 


tions  ;  but,  at  the  moniiMit,  suspiMiing  tliat  lie  was  undor  the 
cowardly  iiiniu'nctM)r  iVar,  tlu'  Major  could  iiol,  and  would 
not,  tok'rati>  anyUiing  oflhokind  in  liis  comtnaiul.* 

And  thus  ihc  battle  wa^'i-d  with  alternate  advances  and 
repulses,  tbe  columns  of  Campbell  and  Shelb}'  having  been 
two  or  three  times  driven  down  the  mountain  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet — the  last  one  almost  a  rout ;  but  the  brave 
niountaini'ers  had  learned  from  experience  when  to  stop  in 
their  retri-at,  face  about,  and  pusli  back  their  assailants. 
In  this  last  desperate  repulse,  some  of  the  Whig  rillemen 
were  transfixed,  while  others  fell  head-long  over  the  cHft's.f 
When  one  colunm  would  dri\e  the  enemy  back  to  their 
starting  place,  the  next  regiment  would  raise  the  battle-cry 
— "  Come  on,  men,  the  enemy  are  retreating  ;"  and  wlien 
the  Provincials  anil  Loyalists  would  make  a  dash  upon  this 
party  of  mountain  men,  anil  would,  in  turn,  be  chased 
back  by  them,  then  the  other  Whig  riflemen,  who  had  just 
before  been  driven  down  the  hill,  would  now  advance,  return- 
ing die  shout — "  Come  on,  men,  theenemv  are  retreating  I"  t 
Thus,  as  one  of  Campbell's  men  expressed  it — "  When  the 
enemy  turned,  we  turned."  §  "  Three  times,"  says  Mills' 
Sliii/'sl/rs,  "did  the  Britons  charge  with  bayonet  down  the 
hill  ;  as  otten  did  the  Americans  retreat ;  and  the  moment 
the  Britons  turned  then*  backs,  the  Americans  shot  from 
behind  every  tree,  and  every  rock,  and  laid  them  prostrate." 
It  was  the  happy  fruition  of  Shelb3''s  perpetual  batde  cry — 
"  Never  shoot  until  you  see  an  enemy,  and  never  see  an 
enemy,  witliout  bringing  him  down."|| 

By  this  time  the  two  wings  of  the  mountaineers  were 
pressing  the  enemy  on  boUi  sides  of  the  mountain,  so  that 
Ferguson's  men  had  ample  employment  all  around  the  emi- 


*  Dr.  A.   I..    Hammonirs  sketch   of   King's  Mountain    hattlc,  in    Charleston    Courier, 
June  21.  1859. 

f  Hamilton's  Republic  of  tlie  United  States,  ii,  161. 

\  Ocneral  GralKini's  narrative. 

^  James  Crow's  statement. 

II  ^Wk.^' Xational  Register,  iv,  403. 


m  'I 


I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


278 


nenco,  without  bcin^  able  to  repair  to  i-acli  otlu'i's  n-licf, 
however  much  they  noetU-d  it.  At  li'iii,'lh  the  Pi()\iucial 
Rau<fers  aud  their  fellow  ehar<rers,  led  bv  the  iutrepid  De- 
Peysler,  be^an  to  t^row  weary  aud  discoura^i'd-  steadily 
decreasing'  in  numbers,  aud  making  no  pernuiueul  inroads 
upon  tluMr  tireless  opposers,  who,  when  beaten  down  the 
mountain,  did  not  choose  to  stay  there  simply  to  oblige 
their  enemies.  From  the  south-western  portion  of  the 
ridge,  the  Rangers  and  Tories  began  to  give  way,  and  were 
doggedly  driven  by  Campbell  and  Shelby,  aided  bv  some  of 
Sevier's  men,  and  perhaps  otiiers,  intermingled  with  tliem. 

Near  the  close  of  the  action,  Lieutenant-Colonel  1  lam- 
bright,  while  encouraging  his  men,  received  a  shot  through 
his  thigh,  making  an  ugly  wound — the  ball  passing  between 
the  thigh  bone  and  his  saddle,  cutting  some  arteries,  and 
filling  his  boot  with  blood.  Discovering  that  the  Colonel 
was  wounded,  Samuel  Moore,  of  York  County,  South  Caro- 
lina, proposed  to  assist  him  trom  his  horse,  which  he  declined, 
assigning  as  a  reason,  that  it  would  distract  tlie  attention  of 
his  men,  and,  as  he  did  not  feel  sick  nor  faint,  he  preferred 
to  remain  with  them  as  long  as  he  could  sustain  himself  in 
the  saddle.  Then  pressing  forward,  he  exclaimed  in  his 
broken  German:  "  Huzza,  my  prave  poys,  fight  on  a  few 
minutes  more,  and  te  battle  will  be  over!"  Hearing  this 
encouraging  shout,  Ferguson,  it  is  said,  responded  :  ''Huzza, 
brave  boys,  the  day  is  our  own  !"  *  It  was  among  the  last 
of  the  British  leader's  utterances  to  animate  his  men  in  a 
hopeless  struggle. 

Dr.  Ramsay,  in  his  History  of  Tennessee,  asserts  that  the 
Tories  had  begun  to  show  flags  in  token  of  surrender,  even 
before  Ferguson  was  disabled,  seeing  which,  he  rode  up,  in 
two  instances,  and  cut  them  down  with  his  sword.     It  was 


'■'MS  correspondence  of  the  venerable  Abraham  Hiirdin.  who  knew  Colonel  Ham- 
bright,  and  of  Gill.  Hambright,  his  descendant.  Colonel  Hambright,  during  the  ..ction. 
had  his  hat  perforated  with  three  bullet  holes,  and  this  memorial  of  the  battle  was  long 
retained  in  the  family.  Though  his  wound  was  a  serious  one,  he  soon  recovered  ;  but  as 
some  of  the  sinews  of  his  thigh  were  cut,  he  ever  aft>jr  bad  a  halt  in  his  walk. 
13 


A 


m 


n 


11! 


\%\ 


274 


AVA'c;.^  MOUNTAIN 


suLTiiestcd  to  him  h\  some  of  liis  otlicers,  tliat  it  was  useless 
to  prolon;^  the  contest,  and  throw  their  Hves  away.  The 
slaujjjhter  was  great,  the  wounded  were  numerous,  and 
furtlu'r  resistance  would  be  unavailin<j^.  But  Fert^nison's 
proud  heart  could  not  think  ot' surrenilering  :  lie  despised 
his  enemies,  and  swore  "  he  never  would  yield  to  such  a 
d — d  banditti."  Captain  DePeyster.  his  second  in  com- 
mand, havint^  the  courage  ot"  his  convictions,  and  ••  con- 
vinced tVom  the  lirst  of  the  utter  tutility  of  resistance  at  the 
point  selected,  ad\ised  a  surrender,  as  soon  as  he  became 
satistied  that  Ferguson  would  not  fall  back  upon  the  (sup- 
posed) rapidly  advancing  relief.  He  appears  to  have  urged 
the  only  course  which  could  have  saved  the  little  army, 
viz:  a  ]"irecipitate,  but  orderly.  retre;it  upon  less  exposed 
points,  lor  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  General-in- 
Chief  in  his  attempt  to  re-inforce  the  detaclinuMit — so  im- 
portant to  future  and  ultimate  success — bv  drawing  back, 
nearer  to  some  point,  which  alone,  re-intbrcements  could 
reach,  and  where,  alone,  they  could  be  made  a\ailable. 
This  ad\ice  was  fornded  on  what  the  event  proved  :  that 
the  British  were  about  to  be  slaughtered  to  no  purpose,  like 
'  ducks  in  a  coop,'  without  inflicting  any  commensurate  loss. 
The  event  proved  the  justice  of  this  counsel."  * 

At  le.igth,  satisfied  that  all  was  lost,  and  firmly  resolving 
not  to  tall  into  the  hands  of  the  despised  "Back-Water  men," 
Ferguson,  with  a  few  chosen  friends,  made  a  desperate  at- 
tempt to  break  through  the  Whig  lines,  on  the  south-east- 
ern side  of  the  mountain,  and  escape.  The  intrepid  Tiritish 
leader  nuule  a  bold  dash  for  life  and  freedom,  with  his  sword 
in  his  lef't  hand,  cutting  and  slashing  till  he  had  broken  it. 
Colonel  Shelby  mentions  the  sword  incident,  and  Benjamin 
Sharp  corroborates  it ;  while  several  others  unite  in  testil\- 
ing  to  the  tact  that  he  spin'red  his  horse,  and  rushed  out, 
attempting  to  escape,  f      liefore  the  action   commenced,  it 

'■Gen.  Dcl'eyster,  in  Historical  Magazine.  M;irch.  1869,  105, 

f  Shelby's  narrative  \\\  American  Review;  Slielliy.  as  cited  in  Haywood's  Tenitessee, 
71;  Sharp's     statenicnt    in    American  /'ioncer,    February,    1843:     MS.   account  of   King's 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


275 


was  well  known  lluit  Ferguson  wielded  his  sword  in  his  lell 
hand,  and  that  he  wore  a  light  or  checked  duster  or  hunt- 
ing-shirt for  an  outer  garment,  and  the  admonition  had 
gone  from  soldier  to  soldier — "  Look  out  for  Ferguson  with 
his  sword  in  his  left  hand,  wearing  a  light  lumiing-shirt !"'  * 

One  of  Sevier's  men,  named  Gilleland,  who  had  receivinl 
several  wounds,  and  was  well-nigh  exhausted,  seeing 
the  advance  of  Ferguson  and  his  party,  attempted  to  arrest 
the  career  of  the  great  leader,  but  his  gun  snapped;  wIumi 
he  called  out  to  Robert  Young,  of  the  same  regiment — 
"There's  Ferguson — shoot  him  !"  f  "  I'll  try  and  see  what 
Sweet-Lips  can  do,"  muttered  Young,  as  he  drew  a  sharp 
sight,  discharging  his  rille,  when  Ferguson  fell  from  his 
horse,  and  his  associates  were  either  killed  or  driven  back. 
Several  rille  bullets  had  taken  elTect  on  Ferguson,  appar- 
ently about  the  same  time,  and  a  number  claimed  the 
honor  of  having  shot  the  fallen  chief- — among  them,  one 
Kusick,  another  of  Sevier's  sharp-shooters.  \  Certain  it  is. 
that  Ferguson  reci  ived  six  or  eight  wounds,  one  of  them 
through  the  head.  He  was  unconscious  when  he  fell,  and 
did  not  long  survive.  It  was  in  the  region  of  Se/ier's  col- 
nmn  that  he  recei\i'd  his  fatal  shots:  and  not  \ery  far,  it 
would  seem,  from  where  Colonel  Shelb}'  had  posted  Ensign 
Robert  Campbell  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  enemy  so 
strongly  ensconced  behind  the  range  of  rocks. 

Ensign  Campbell  gives  us  some  further  insight  into 
Ferguson's  attempt  at  flight.   It  was,  as  he  represents,  when 


Mountain  liy  an  unknown  member  of  Camiibcll's  corps  ;  Hon.  Wm.  C.  Preston's  Defence 
of  Colonel  Campbell,  \iii\  ^'S.  correspondence  of  Kx-Governor  David  Campbell,  anil  Ur, 
A.  Q,  Uradley;  conversations  with  Colonel  Thomas  H.  Shelby.  Mills,  in  his  Sintistics  of 
South  Caioiina,  asserts  th,ax  "Ferguson  attempted  to  force  his  way :  "  and  Wheeler's 
Xorlh  Carolir.i  declares  that  "  he  made  a  desperate  move  to  break  through  the  .\mericnii 
lines,"  The  "oh'ticul  Magazi'ie,  for  February,  i73i,  states  while  "  advancing  tn  reconnoitr. 
the  enemy,  vho  were  retiring,  he  fell  by  a  random  shot." 

*  Statements  of  James  and  Oeor^e  W.  Sevier  ;  Silas  Mcllee,  Colonel  George  Wilson 
Colonel  Thomas  II.  Shelby,  and  others  Mrs.  F.llet,  in  her  If'omeii  of  thr  Kir'nluiron. 
iii,  293.  speaks  of  the  check-shirt  disguise. 

tOillel.ind  recovered  from  his  wounds,  ami  lived  many  years. 

J  Conversations  with  James  and  George  W.  Sevier,  ai,d  Colonel  George  Wilson;  and 
MS.  correspondence  of  Dr.  J.  G.  M.  Ramsey. 


!•  * 

ii 

M 


!i     V 


■V' 


t 


I 


270 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


w 


i    i 


:«:!    I 


Colonels  Campbell  and  Shelby  were  pressing  the  enemy 
from  the  south-western  extremity  of  the  mountain,  and  Fer- 
guson's  men  were  tailing  fast  on  every  hand.  He  had  sent 
DePevster  with  the  Provincial  Rangers  to  strengthen  the 
front :  and  in  reaching  the  point  assigned  him,  he  had  to 
pass  through  a  blaze  of  riflery,  losing  many  of  his  men  in 
the  ertbrt.  Ferguson's  small  cavalry  corps,  under  Lieuten- 
ant Taylor — consisting  of  twenty  men,  made  up  from  his 
Rangers — were  ordered  to  mount,  and  press  forward  to  aid 
Del^e3stcr  in  his  heroic  purpose  ;  but  as  fast  as  they  mount- 
ed, they  were  mostly  picked  oiV  by  the  Whig  marksmen. 
nri\en  to  desperation,  Ferguson  endeavored  to  make 
his  escape,  accompanied  by  two  Loyalist  Colonels,  all 
mounted,  who  charged  on  that  part  of  the  line  which 
they  thought  was  most  vulnerable — "  in  the  quarter  where 
Sevier's  men  were,"  as  related  by  James  Sevier,  one  of 
their  number,  and  Benjamin  Starritt,  derived  iVom  his  two 
brotlKi-s-in-law,  who  served  in  Sevier's  regiment ;  and,  as 
Ensign  Campbell  stated,  "  on  that  part  of  the  line  defended 
by  his  party."  As  soon  as  Ferguson  reached  the  Whig 
front,  he  fell :  and  the  other  two  olTicers,  attempting  to 
retreat,  soon  shared  the  same  fate.  One  of  these  Tory 
otlicers  killed  was,  doubtless.  Colonel  Vezev  Husband,  and 
the  other — not  a  Colonel,  as  Ensign  Campbell  supposed — • 
but  Major  Daniel  Plummer. 

Some  accounts  represent  that  Colonel  Williams  sought 
a  personal  encounter  with  Ferguson,  determined  to  kill  him, 
or  die  in  the  attempt.  This  is  more  romantic  than  prob- 
able. It  could  hardly  have  been  so,  since  Ferguson  was 
shot  some  distance  from  where  Williams  must  have  received 
his  wounds,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hill ;  and  the 
accounts  pretty  well  agree,  that  Williams  was  wounded  at 
the  very  close  of  the  conflict,  when  the  enemy  had  begun 
to  exhibit  their  white  flaffs,  *  while  Fermison  was  shot  from 


*  Mills,  in  his   Statistics  of  South  Carolina,  strile>i.    that   Colonel  Williams  "hail    the 
good  fortune  to  encounter  personally  in  battle  Colonel  Ferguson,   who  attempted  to   force 


iii  .1 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


277 


his  horse  some  little  time  before.  Tlie  suggestion  made  by 
Colonel  Hill,  in  his  manusriipt  narrative,  that  Colonel 
Williams  was  shot  b}'  some  of  Lacey's  men,  who  were  in- 
imical to  him,  and  had  sworn  to  take  his  life,  is  hardly 
credible ;  and,  for  the  honor  of  humanity,  we  are  con- 
strained to  discard  so  improbable  and  unpatriotic  a  supposi- 
tion. 

The  last  desperate  grapple  between  CampbelTs  men — 
assisted  by  Shelby's — and  the  enemy,  just  before  the  close 
of  the   engagement,  lasted   twenty  minutes* — and   witiiin 


his  way  at  this  point.     Tliey  both  fell  on    the  spot,  being  shot,  it    was   supposeil,  by    a   ball 
from  t!  t  Uritish  side— it  was  the  last  gun  fired." 

Dr.  Ramsay,  the  Tennessee  historian,  asserts  that  Colonel  Williams  '  fell  a  victim  to 
the  true  Palmetto  spirit,  and  intemperate  eagerness  for  battle.  Toward  the  close  of  the 
engagement,  he  espied  Ferguson  riding  ne.ir  the  line,  and  dashed  toward  him  with  the 
gallant  determination  of  a  person.d  encoii.iter.  '  I  will  l<ill  FerLjuson,  or  die  in  tlie  attempt!' 
exclaimed  Wdliams;  and  spurring  his  horse  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  received  a  bul- 
let as  he  crossed  their  line.  He  survived  till  he  heard  that  his  aiit.agonist  w.is  killed,  and 
his  camp  surrendered  ;  and  amidst  the  shouts  of  victory  by  his  triumphant  countrymen, 
said  :  '  1  die  contented  ;'  and  with  a  smile  on  his  cninteuance.  expired." 

The  late  Dr.  A.  L.  Hammond,  son  of  M.ajor  Hamnioiul.  in  an  article  on  King's  Moun- 
t.iin  battle,  in  the  Charleston  Courier,  June  21,  1859.  stated  that  "  Williams'  horse,  wound- 
ed and  snorting  with  foam  and  blood  at  every  bound,  dashed  forward.  Ferguson  turned 
to  receive  him ;  their  swords  crossed — nothing  more,  for  at  that  instant  a  deadly  volley 
came  from  both  sides,  and  the  two  combatants  fell  mortally  wounded." 

Ensign  Robert  Campbell  states,  that  "  Colonel  Willi, urfc  was  shot  lhro,;gh  the  body, 
near  the  close  of  tiic  action,  in  making  an  attempt  to  ch  irge  on  Ferguson;  he  lived  long 
enough  to  hear  of  the  surrender  of  the  liritish  army,  when  he  said:  1  die  contented, 
since  we  have  gained  the  victory."  " 

Dr.  John  H.  Logan,  the  historian  of  the  I'fi-Ccmntry  p/  South  Carolina,  has  preserved 
.imong  the  MS.  traditions  he  gathered  many  years  ago.  this  account  of  Colonel  Williams 
death:  Williams  and  Ferguson  fell  nt'rlyatthe  same  time,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
mountain.  Williams,  from  a  more  favorable  position  than  those  occupied  by  Campbell 
and  Hambright.  saw  the  magic  influence  of  Ferguson  s  whistle  Dashing  to  the  front,  his 
horse  throwing  bloody  foam  from  his  mouth  that  had  been  struck  by  a  lull,  he  was  heaid 
to  exclaim — "  I'll  silence  that  whistle  or  die  in  the  attempt!"  Quickly  Ferguson  was  no 
more;  and  soon  after,  a  ball  from  the  enemy  laid  Williams  mortally  wounded  on  the  hill- 
side. 

Still  more  romantic  is  Simms'  statement  in  his  History  of  South  Carolina:  "  Tradition 
reports  that  Williams  and  Fer:,'Uson  perished  by  each  other's  hands  ;  that,  after  Ferguson 
had  fallen  by  the  pistol  of  Williams,  and  l.iy  wounded  on  the  ground  the  latter  approached 
and  offered  him  mercy  ;  and  that  his  answer  was  a  fatal  bullet   from  tlie   pistol  of  the  dying 


lit! 


Much  more  prol>able  is  the  statement  of   Dr,  John   Whelchel,  of  Willian 


command 


In  hi 


s  pension 


decia 


doubtless  an  eye-witness,  and  a  man  of  much  intelligen 

states  that  Colonel  Williams  received  his   fatal    shot    "  immeiliately   after   the   enemy   had 

hoisted  a   flag  to  surrender."     Lieutenant  Joseph    Hughes,    of  Hrandon's   men,    makes   a 

similar  statement      The  narrative  of  Thomas  Young  already  cited,    also  tends   to   divest 

th 


cs?  romances  of  any  claim 


to  historic  probability. 


'■'"A    I'lritish  surgeon,"   says  Lieutenant  Newell,  referring,  doubtless,  to  Dr.  Johnson, 
'stated  that  he  held  his  watch,  and  that  the  storm  lasted  twenty  minutes.  " 


278 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 


thirty  or  Vort}-  \:ir(ls  of  each  other  ;  and  was  the  most  hotly 
contested  part  of  the  action.  Campbell  was  on  foot  at  the 
heail  of  his  rejriment — so  much  advanced  in  front  as  to  be 
in  danger  from  the  fu'e  of  his  own  men  ;  and  his  courageous 
words  wore — "  Boys,  remember  30ur  liberty  !  Come  on  I 
come  on  !  my  brave  fellows  ;  another  gun — another  gun  will 
do  it!  D — m  them,  we  must  have  them  out  of  this!"*  It 
was  on'  incessant  peal  of  hre-arms.  The  enemy  made  a 
firm  stand  ;  but  after  a  while  they  were  forced  to  retire  some 
distance  along  tlio  crest  of  the  mountain,  towards  their  camp 
at  tlie  north-eastern  extremity,  wiien  ihev  hailed  airain  for  a 
few  moments.  The  brave  men  of  Campbell  and  Shelby 
were  sensibly  aided  by  the  heroic  bravery  of  the  left  wing- 
under  Cleveland,  Lace}^  and  Williams,  who  pressed,  with 
shouts  of  victory,  upon  the  Tories  in  that  quarter,  which 
tended  to  re-animate  the  Virginians  and  the  Sullivan  troops, 
who,  with  re-doubled  fury,  fought  like  tigers.  They  drove 
Ferguson's  surviving  Rangers  and  the  Tories  before  them  to 
where  their  wagons  were,  behind  which  they  made  a  rally  ; 
but  they  were  soon  driven  from  this  covert,  down  into  a 
sunken  or  hollow  place,  by  which  time  the  Rangers  were 
mostly  killed  or  disabled,  and  the  Loyalists  quite  de- 
moralized, f 

Campbell's  column  was  two  or  three  times  driven  down, 
or  partly  down  the  mountain  ;  Shelby  says  he  was  three 
times  repulsed — and  Doctor  Ferguson,  in  his  Memoir  of 
his  kinsman.  Colonel  Ferguson,  declares  that  the  Provin- 
cials, with  their  bayonets  "  repulsed  the  enemy  in  three 
several  attacks."  One  part  of  Cleveland's  line  was  charged 
once  in  the  flank,  and  another  portion  was  twice  driven 
before  the  ^-yonet ;  while  Chronicle  and  Ilambright's 
Lincoln  men  were  once,  at  least,  forced  down  the  hill.  Mc- 
Dowell's corps  received  a  bayonet  charge,  as  Thomas  Ken- 


Newell's  and  Sharp's  statements, 
f  Statements  of  Lieutenant  Newell,  James  Crow,  and  Henry  Dickenson,  of  Campbell's 
regiment. 


11 


,.i 


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i 

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i  ,■ 

r 

i 
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II 

in 

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■ 

^^H 

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^11 

h 
O 

o 

o 

Bi 


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CO 


^A^^  ITS  IlEJiOES. 


^^^\y,  one  of  the  C-.Mf  •  ""  ^^^ 

'"'■•"Srlhe  action,  „„,.  „„/'•,■'  "T"'  "'^''^  ""  charged 
tLcs,.  bayonet  charg,s.  '  '^°''"'>"»   '"liored  from 

can.,  ,i;;"  ";;;/;;;;™^^^^^^ 

«-t.";l,e  termination   ^ttoirr,'" ■"'•-■  '■'=—'  "--i,. 
<^liari;c.d  their  Htles,  ,|,„.  ,.,..'"    i""?"";  and  l,avi„  ,   ,,,■.,. 

«.""  ;  i>.n  ^vhile  ,)K.v  were  tin  T'^'f  ■"»'™«ions  „rFer..n 
«gh.ed  rifle„,en  bel  ,  ,  ^  ^''T'  ""■""«•  "-  ■^'>a°l  - 
*™  off  at  every  n,o„,e  '  Lo,  !^  "«""^-  -•™.  would  pij, 
"?  *.smen  in  a  valley  have  dr*",  '""■'""^'■'  P'-'^es,  that 
""."..(irinyat  each  V  '„.'■''"';'»'•-'  '"' "«>»'-■  <>"  a 
terrestrial  relVacdon.  •     TheV  ,'"  1"-"''"W3- oh  in.,  to  the 

°f  "-<■-..  often  .ho*ot  t»  .tht  ""'r:  '""'■"'■  ^•«"■■- 
f"^™'    Be  this  a.,  it  „av,  the  E   „     '"",  "■^■"-  "''Jeet  .»  bel„„ 
eads  of  the  American,      u,H^        ''""  "'"■^"«'  «er  the 
;■■«"«■  t»igs,  while  thebtd  '  t      ,n,;"""=  ""■  "■-•»  »■'  eut! 
*ea<l,ul  etrect-the  Bridsh  wl    "  "'.""""""-■«■» Pro.luced 
;'"-,  'l.a.  of  their  anta™,rtr  I '■"""«  '""'''  "-^"h'  Area 
«.aul,e  North   Caroli„a°Le  ah-.t!"'''''- "■''"'  •^"^'"'^  ^""es 
^"■^"..ded,  and  numbers  bete  /  S^""'  ""'   "-T   were 
'he  first  to  give  way,  wln-ci,    ,  f„      '""^  ^""-unition,  were 
Tones  ,nto  confnsi'on.,.    Th  l'    "'"'  ""■'  '•''■»'  "I"  the 

he  ofliciaJ  report  of  Cam,,b   1      '-I  ""'-'  ^"-'''  «°.  »"d  yet 
"-;  'ha.  the  greater  prTf  ""„''"  •'■""'-•'•••"-   "e  aC 
render  >vere  still  charged  ""^^  *"""»  at  the  sur. 

_^!i^  "enry,  of  Hambrigbfs  and  Ch       ■  ,  ■ 

•  So  James  Sevier  anH  Q-,       ,,  "'*-'<-  S  paitv, 

author.  '^  ^''''■''   '^'"^nee,   of  those   re   • 

,,.  •^Con,.„n,-„,,,    ,,,,,  '""'="''•    -^"-'^""y   -aeed   to   the 

ft  Allaire's  Mt;    n' 


Jfi 


I 


f  : 


280 


KING 'S  MO  UN  TAIN 


who  had  been  traiislixed  by  a  Tory  bayonet,  was  making 
his  way  at  the  very  close  of  tlie  engagement  to  Chirke's 
Brancli  to  quench  his  thirst,  he  unexpectedly  met  Colonel 
Graham  on  his  largt'  black  steed,  accompanied  by  Uavid 
Dicke}',  who,  wieliling  his  swt)rd  around  his  head,  exclaimed 
— "D — m  the  Tories  I"  *  He  had  heard  the  Uriiiir  while 
on  his  way  to  his  sick  wi»c,  and  could  not  resist  the  impulse 
to  return,  and  share  in  the  battle,  \  Just  before  the  linal 
surrender  of  the  enemy,  when  there  was  much  intermingling 
of  the  mountaineers,  Colonel  Shelby  had  the  hair  on 
the  left  side  of  his  head  scorched  otV,  which  was  noticed  by 
Colonel  Sevier,  who  met  him  at  this  moment — so  narrowly 
did  the  heroic  Shelby  escape  losing  his  life  by  Tory  bullets.* 
With  their  men  forced  into  a  huddle  near  their  tents  and 
wagons,  the  surviving  British  oOicers  could  not  form  half  a 
dozen  of  them  together ;  and  the  denn)ralized  Tories  were 
being  shot  down  like  sheep  at  the  slaughter. 

The  fall  of  Ferguson  is  represented  b}'  Lieutenant 
Allaire  as  having  occurred  "early  in  the  action;"  and 
Captain  RN'erson,  another  of  his  corps  officers,  onl}-  states 
that  DePevster,  after  the  loss  of  Ferguson,  maintainei^  his 
ground  as  long  as  it  was  possible  to  defend  it.  Ta  eton 
states,  that  when  Ferguson  was  shot,  after  nearly  an  home's 
fighting,  '*  his  whole  corps  was  thrown  into  total  confusion  ; 
no  efibrt  was  made  after  this  event,  to  resist  the  enemy's 
barbarit}-,  or  revenge  the  fall  of  their  leader."  In  the 
Memoir  of  General  Sanmel  Graham,  a  Captain  under 
Lord  Cornwallis — a  work  prepared  from  the  General's 
manuscripts — it  is  stated,  that  after  the  fall  of  Ferguson, 
and  many  of  his  men,  "  the  remainder,  alter  a  short  resist- 
ance, were  overpowered,  and  compelled  to  surrender."     A 


*  Robert  Henry's  MS.  narrative,  appended  to  the  statements  of  Vance  and  McDowell. 

T  Tiiat  night.  Colonel  Oraham's  only  child.  Sarah,  was  horn,  who,  when  she  grew  to 
womanhood,  bei  ame  the  wife  of  Abram  Irvine,  who  was  several  years  Sheriff  of  Ruther- 
ford County.  The  venerable  Dr.  O.  R.  Irvine,  of  Cireenville,  S.  C,  is  one  of  several 
children  of  this  marriatje. 

J  Shelby  s  letter,  August  12,  and  Colonel  John  Sevier  s,  August  27,  1813, 


I'll      "'It 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


281 


writer  in  the  London  Political  Ma!>(izinc,  for  February, 
1 78 1,  asserts  that  when  Ferguson  fell,  Captain  DePeyster, 
the  next  in  command,  "  immediately  hoisted  the  while  flag 
— that  is,  his  white  handkerchief;  an  odlcer  clore  by  him, 
enraged  at  such  timidity,  made  a  stroke  at  him  with  his 
sabre,  and  almost  cut  olV  his  hand  ;  nevertheless  the  surren- 
der went  on," 

Allaire  and  Rycrson,  his  fellow  officers,  not  only  acquit 
DePeyster  of  the  charge  of  timidity,  but  declare  that  his 
conduct  was,  in  all  "respects,  proper;"  and  Captain 
R3'erson  adds,  that  he  "behaved  like  a  brave  good  oflicer.'' 
Of  course,  the  hand-cutting  incident  had  no  foundation. 
Ramsay,  the  South  Carolina  historian,  siatcs  that  "no 
chance  of  escape  being  lef't,  and  all  prospect  of  successful 
resistance  being  at  an  end,  the  second  in  command  sued  for 
quarter."  Gordon,  in  his  History,  and  Mackenzie,  in  his 
Strictures,  adopt  this  view  of  the  matter:  And  Ensign 
Robert  Campbell,  of  the  Virginia  regiment  observes,  that  as 
soon  as  Ferguson  tell,  "  Captain  DePeyster  raised  a  flag, 
and  called  tor  quarters ;  it  was  soon  taken  out  of  his  hand 
by  one  of  the  officers  on  horseback,  and  raised  so  high  that 
it  could  be  seen  by  our  line." 

But  there  were  other  white  flags  or  emblems  displayed 
bv  the  enemv,  either  with  or  without  the  sanction  of  De- 
Peyster.  A  man  was  mounted  on  horseback  with  a  white 
handkerchief  as  a  token  of  submission  ;  but  he  was  quickly 
shot  down  bv  the  half-crazed  Bovven,  as  alreadv  related; 
when  another  was  mounted  on  the  same  horse,  and  set 
out  for  the  displa}'  of  the  emblem  of  surrender,  who  soon 
shared  the  same  iate,  but  a  third  met  with  better  success — 
Major  Evan  Shelb}'  received  it,  and,  with  others,  pro- 
claimed the  surrender.  By  this  time  white  handkerchiefs 
were  also  displayed  in  various  quarters  on  guns  and  ram- 
rods. "  Our  men,"  says  Shelb}-,  "  who  had  been  scattered 
in  the  battle,  were  continually  C(^ming  up,  and  continued  to 
tire,  without  comprehending,  in  the  heat  of  the    moment, 


m<''\' 


I  v\i 


1  ""^ 


fil 


I?  ;:■ 


i; 


i 


282 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


what  hail  happened."  Many  of  the  ^oungmen,  it  was  said 
for  their  apology,  knew  not  the  meaning  of  a  white  llag 
under  such  circumstances  ;  while  others  had  heconie  embit- 
tered, and  were  crying  out — *^Give  them  Buford's  play  !"* — 
nocjuarters,  as  Tarleton  had,  the  preceding  May,  so  savagely 
treated  Colonel  Buford  and  his  party.  "When  the 
British,"  says  Mills'  Slatistics  of  South  C'arol/iici,  "  found 
themselves  pressed  on  all  sides,  they  hung  out  white  hand- 
kerchiefs upon  guns  and  halberds.  Few  of  the  Americans 
understood  the  signal,  and  the  few  that  did,  chose  not  to 
know  what  it  meant;  so  that,  even  after  submission,  the 
slaughter  continued,  until  the  Americans  were  weary  of 
killing."  This  is  a  sad  confession,  but  impartial  truth  de- 
mands that  the  record  be  faithful,  though,  in  this  case,  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  the  latter  part  of  Mills'  statement  is 
somewliat  exaggerated. 

Among  those  still  engaged  in  this  work  of  death  was 
young  Joseph  Sevier,  who  had  heard  that  his  father.  Col- 
onel Sevier,  had  been  killed  in  the  action — a  false  report, 
originating,  probably,  from  the  fact  of  the  Coloners  brother, 
Captain  Robert  Sevier,  having  been  fatally  wounded  ;  and 
the  young  soldier  kept  up  firing  upon  the  huddled  Tories, 
until  admonished  to  cease,  when  he  excitedly  cried  out, 
with  the  tears  chasing  each  other  doun  his  cheeks — "  The 
d — d  rascals  have  killed  my  father,  and  I'll  keep  loading 
and  shooting  till  I  kill  every  son  of  a  b — h  of  them."  Col- 
onel Sevier  now  riding  up,  his  son  discovered  the  mistake 
under  which  he  had  labored,  and  desisted,  f 

But  the  Whig  leaders  were  active  in  their  efforts  to  put 
a  stop  to  the  further  firing  of  the  patriots.  The  subdued 
Tories  were  everywhere  cr\ing  "  quarters  !" — "  quarters  !" 
"  D — m  you,"  exclaimed  Shelby,  "  if  you  want  quarters, 
throw   down  your  arms !"  J     Benjamin   Sharp,  of  Camp- 

'•'" Shelby's  narrative,  1823  ;  General  Graham's  statement ;   certificate  of  John  Long,  of 
Shelby's  men. 

f  Statement  of  Colonel  George   W.  Sevier. 

J  Certificate  of  John  Sharp,  of  Shelby's  regiment,  1823, 


AND  ITS  HF.ROFS. 


283 


bell's  regiment,  who  witncssL'il  this  scene,  thus  describes  it: 
"  At  the  close  of  the  action,  when  the  British  were  loudly 
callin<^  for  quarters,  but  uncertain  whether  they  would  bo 
granted,  I  saw  the  intrepid  Shelby  rush  his  horse  within 
fifteen  paces  of  tiieir  lines,  and  command  them  to  lay  down 
tinMr  arms,  and  they  should  have  quarters.  Some  would 
cull  this  an  imprudent  act ;  but  it  showed  the  daring  bravery 
of  the  man."  * 

Andrew  Evins.  a  member  of  Captain  William  Edmond- 
son's  company,  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  was,  with  others, 
still  firing  on  the  demoralized  Tories,  when  Colonel  Camp- 
bell came  running  up,  and  knocked  up  the  soldier's  gun, 
exclaiming — *' Evins,  for  God's  sake,  don't  shoot!  It  is 
murder  to  kill  them  now,  for  they  have  raised  the  flag!"t 
Campbell,  as  he  rushed  along,  repeated  the  order — "Cease 
firing ! — for  God's  sake,  cease  firing  V'\  Thus  was  Colonel 
Camiihell  mercit'ullv  engrailed  in  savin;;  the  discomfited 
Loyalists  fVom  further  eflusion  of  blooil — no  ofiicer  could 
have  acted  more  tender  or  humane ;  and  he  passed  on 
around  tlu'  prisoners,  on  foot,  still  seeking  to  promote  their 
safety  and  protection. 

Captain  DePeyster,  who  had  succeeded  Ferguson  in 
the  command,  sitting  on  his  grey  horse,  expostulated  witii 
Colonel  Campbell,  referring  to  the  firing  on  hisfiag — "Col- 
onel Campbell,  it  was  d — d  unfair,"  and  then  repeated  it ; 
but  Campl^ell,  probably  thinking  it  no  time  to  band}'  words 
with  the  British  leader,  simply  ordered  him  to  dismount ; 
and  called  out,  "officers,  rank  by  yourselves;  prisoners, 
take  ofT  your  hats,  and  sit  down."  §  The  enemy  at  this 
time  had  been  driven  into  a  group  of  sixty  vards  in  length, 
and  less  than  fort\'  in  width.  ||  The  mountaineers  were 
ordered    to    close  up   in  surrounding   the    prisoners,  first 


*  American  Pioneer,  February,  1843,   69. 

•j-  Evins'  stalciiicnt,  1813. 

t  Letter  of  Oeiieral  George  Rutledge,  May  27th,  1813, 

\  James  Crow's  statement,  May  6,  1813. 

[  General  Graham's  narrative. 


^ 


284 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


\-     1 


f 


A   i! 


i 

I 


in  one  continiunis  circle,  then  double  <,aiards,  and  finally 
four  deep.  *  "Colonel  Campbell  then  proposed  to  his  troops 
three  liuz"as  for  JJhcrly,  which  were  ;;iven  in  heartv 
ucclaitn,  inakin<^  the  welkin  ring,  and  the  hills  resound,  with 
their  shouts  of  victory,  f 

An  occurrence  now  transpired,  that,  for  a  few  moments, 
changed  the  whole  scene  in  that  quarter  ;  and  threatened, 
for  a  brief  period,  the  most  tragic  conse([uences.  It  is 
known,  as  a  Ihilish  account  relates  it,  that  '*  a  small  party 
of  the  Loyal  militia  returning  from  foraging,  unac(juainted 
with  the  surrender,  happening  to  Hre  on  the  Rebels,  the 
prisoners  were  immediately  threatened  with  death,  if  the 
firing  should  be  repeated."  J  Whether  it  was  the  vollev 
from  this  party,  who  probably  scampered  oil";  or  whether 
from  some  of  tiie  Tories  in  the  general  huddle,  exasperated 
perhaps  that  proper  respect  was  not  instantly  paid  to  their 
flag,  now  iired  upon,  and  mortally  wounded  Colonel  Wil- 
liams, who  was  riding  toward^  the  British  encampment ; 
and,  wheeling  back,  said  to  William  Moore,  one  of  Camp- 
bell's regiment — **  I'm  a  gone  man  !"  ^ 

Colonel  Campbell  was  close  at  hand  when  this  un- 
happy event  transpired  ;  and  doubtless  reasoned,  that  if  the 
fatal  llring  proceeded  from  an  outside  part}',  it  was  the  pre- 
cursor of  Tarleton's  expected  relief ;  if  from  the  surrendered 
Tories,  at  least  some  considerable  portion  of  tiiem  were  in- 
clined to  spring  a  trap  on  the  Whigs,  shoot  down  their  leaders, 
and  make  a  bold  attempt  to  escape,  when  the  patriots  were 
measurably  otf  their  guard,  and  least  prepared  for  it ;  and 
acting  on  the   spur  of  the  moment,  he  resolved  on  stern 

the  intended  mutiny,  bv  ins 


qu( 


tly 


*  Captain  ChrUtopher  Taylor's  statement  :  conversations  witli  John  Spelts. 

V  Statements  tA  John  Craig  ;  MS.  narrative  of  Rohert  Henry. 

I  South  Carolina  Gazette,  Deccniher  =o.  1780;  am!  Scot's  Mas;azi>!e,  January,  :7Si. 
The  editor  of  the  Cazttle  evidently  derived  his  statement  from  Lieutenant  All.iiie,  of  Fer- 
guson's Rangers,  judging  from  a  comparison  ttf  the  details  there  given,  with  a  more  elabor- 
ate narrative  in  Rivington's  Royal  Gazette,  New  York,  Fchruary  04.  1781,  which  General 
J.  Watts  DePtyster  attributes,  from  internal  evidence,  to  that  olTicer,  and  which  Lieutenant 
Allaire's  MS.  Diary  fully  corroborates. 

J  Statement  of  William  Moore. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


28.5 


orderiP'''  the  men  near  him — the  men  of  Williams  ..lul 
Hrandon's  command — to  fire  upon  the  enemy.  The  oihUt 
was  ([uiekly  ()he\  ed  hy  the  soldiers  who  had  been  so 
treaeheroiisly  di'prived  of  their  intrepid  leader  ;  "  and,"  said 
Lieutenant  Joseph  Ilu^dies,  one  of  Brandon's  party,  "we 
killed  near  a  liuiulred  of  them."  Hut  the  probaliililies  are, 
that  tliose  who  fired,  and  those  who  .suflered  from  it,  were 
not  very  numerous.  It  was,  however,  a  sad  afVair  :  and  in 
the  confusion  of  the  niomi:nt,  its  origin  and  its  immediate 
cfte''ts  were  prol)abI}-  little  understood  hy  either  party  ;  and 
doubtless  Colonel  Campbell  himself  deeply  regri-tted  the 
order  he  had  given  to  hre  upon  an  unresisting  foe.  * 


*  These  particulars  may  l)C  some wliat  erroneous  and  exaggerated;  but  there  m\\.s\.  he 
a  basis  of  truth  in  ihem.  It  is  due  tu  the  high  reputation  tliat  Colonel  Hughes  sustained  in 
liis  day,  to  aecord  candor  and  good  intentions  to  his  statements  generally.  In  his  pension 
application,  in  1833,  he  briefly  slates:  "  Was  at  King's  Mountai!),  where  General  Willi.ims 
was  mortally  wounded,  after  the  liritish  had  raised  their  il.ig  to  5urreiidtr.  by  a  fire  from 
some  Tories.  Colonel  Campbell  then  ordered  a  fire  on  the  lories,  and  we  killed  near  a 
hundred  of  them  alter  the  surrender  of  the  liritish,  and  could  hardly  be  restrained  from 
killing  the  wiiolo  of  them." 

That  Colonel  Hughes'  statements  are  worthy  of  respect,  a  brief  reference  to  son^e  of 
the  more  salient  points  of  his  lUvohitionary  services,  and  the  good  character  he  bore  during 
the  war,  and  for  more  than  half  a  century  thereafter,  are  only  necessary  tti  be  cited.  He 
was  born  in  what  is  now  Chester  County.  South  Carolina,  in  1761,  his  parents  having 
retired  thee  tei.'porarily  from  the  present  region  of  Union  County,  on  account  of  Indian 
troubles.  He  served,  in  1776,  on  Williamsons  Cherokee  expedition,  and  .subsequently  in 
Georgia,  Cover  lor  Rutledge,  early  in  1780.  commissioned  him  a  Lieutenant,  and  he  fouj:ht 
under  Sumter  at  I'.ocky  Mount  and  Hanging  Rock;  and  then  shared  in  the  heroic  action  at 
Musgrove's  Mill.  His  dare  devil  character,  and  adventurous  scrv'cc  .  in  the  up-country 
region  of  South  Carolina,  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1780,  have  already  been  related. 
In  f:ne  of  these  Tory  encounters,  Hughes  had  a  lock  of  hair  cut  from  his  head,  C.i|'tain 
Samuel  Otlerson  a  slight  wound  on  his  chin,  while  a  third  person  received  a  cut  acn^ss  his 
cheek  — all  from  the  same  shot. 

Then  we  find  him  taking  part,  in  the  memorable  ergagements  at  King's  Mount. lin, 
Hammond's  Store  and  Cowpens.  Though  yet  a  Lieutenant,  he  commanded  his  company 
in  this  latter  action.  He  was  not  only  a  man  of  great  personal  strength,  hut  of  remarliable 
fleetness  on  foot.  As  his  men,  with  others,  broke  at  the  Cowpens,  ami  fled  before  Tarleton's 
cavalry;  and  though  receiving  a  sahre  cut  across  hi';  right  hand,  yet  with  his  drawn 
sword,  he  would  out-run  his  men,  and  passing  them,  lai:e  about,  and  command  them  to 
stand,  striking  right  and  left  to  enforce  obedience  to  orders;  often  repeating  with  a  loud 
voice:  '■  You  d— d  cowards,  halt  and  fight— there  is  more  d.ingcr  in  running  than  in  fight- 
ing, and  if  you  don't  step  and  fight,  you  will  all  be  killed  !"  But  most  of  them  were  for 
awhile  too  demoralized  to  realize  the  situation,  or  obey  the  commands  of  their  olTuers.  As 
they  would  scamper  ofif.  Hughes  would  renewedly  pursue,  and  once  more  gaining  their 
front,  would  repeat  his  tactics  to  bring  them  to  their  duty.  At  length  the  company  was 
induced  to  make  a  stand,  on  the  brow  of  a  slope,  some  distance  from  the  b,Tttle-Iine.  be- 
hind a  clump  of  young  pines  that  partially  concealed  and  protected  them  from  Tarleton's 
cavalry.     Others  now  joined  them  for    self-protection.      Their   guns  were  quickly    loaded, 


:ii 


\m 


s 


1^^ 


I  i 


1 


286 


A'/A'G  'S  MOUNTAIN 


The  firing  upon  tho  British  and  Tories  was  at  length 
suppressed.  Colonel  Shelby,  fearing  that  the  enemy  might 
yet,  perhaps,  feel  constrained,  in  vself-defence,  to  resume 
their  arms,  and  which  they  could  with  such  facilit}-  snatch 
up  as  they  lay  before  them,  exclaimed  :  ''  Good  God  !  what 
can  we  do  in  this  confusion  ?  "  "  We  can  order  the  prison- 
ers from  their  arms  "  said  Captain  Sawyers.  "  Yes,"  re- 
sponded Shelby,  "that  can  be  done ""  ;  and  the  prisoners 
were  accordingly  forthwith  marched  to  another  place,  with 
a  strong  guard  I'laced  around  them.  * 

The  surviving  British  leaders  were  prompt  to  surrender 
their  swords  to  the  lirst  American  oilicer  that  cami"  near 
them.  Ferguson's  sword  was  picked  up  on  the  ground  ; 
and,  according  to  one  account,  it  passed  into  Colonel 
Cleveland's  possession  ;  but  with  more  probability,  accord- 
ing to  odiers,  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Colonel  Sevier.  Cap- 
tain DePeyster  delivered  his  sword,  as  some  assert,  to 
Colonel  Campbell ;  while  others  declare  it  was  to  Major 
Evan  Shelby.  Captain  Ryerson,  who  was  wounded,  ten- 
dered   his    sword    to    Lieutenant    Andrew    Kincannon,    of 

and  they  were  tliemselvos  again.  Morgan  gallopetl  up  and  spoke  words  of  encourage- 
ment to  them.  The  next  moment  the  I'rilish  cavalry  were  at  them  ;  but  the  Whigs  re- 
served their  fire  till  the  enemy  were  so  near^  that  it  was  tcrril)ly  effectivo,  enii>tying  m.uiy 
a  British  saddle,  when  the  survivors  recoiled.  Now  Colonel  Washington  gave  them  a 
charge — the  b.ittle  was  restored,  when  Howard  and  his  Marylanders  with  the  bayonet 
swept  thr  ,"ield.  Such  is  the  account  related  by  Christopher  Ilrandon  to  Uaiiicl  Wallace. 
Tarleton  acknowledges,  that  ''  an  une.xpected  fire  from  the  Americans,  who  came  about  as 
the\'  were  retre.uing.  stopped  the  Piritish,  anil  threw  them  into  confusion,"  when  a  panic 
ensued,  antl  ilicii  a  general  fli:;ht.  It  was  a  hi(;h  and  wnithy  compliment  from  bis  old 
commander.  Colonel  Hrandon,  who  declared,  that,  at  the  Cowpens,  "  Hughes  suved  the 
/ate  of  the  day." 

As  a  deserved  recognition  of  these  meritorious  ser\ices,  ho  was  promoted  to  a  Cap- 
taincy early  in  1781.  when  he  was  scarcely  twenty  years  of  age  ;  and  led  his  company  with 
characteristic  valor,  at  the  battle  of  Kntaw  Springs.  The  Tories  had  killed  his  father 
during  the  war,  and  many  a  dear  friend,  and  his  animosity  against  the  whole  race  was 
alike  bitter  and  unrelenting,  In  1S25,  he  removed  to  Alabama,  first  to  Green  County,  and 
then  to  Pickens,  where  he  died,  in  September,  1834,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  For  more 
than  twenty  of  the  closing  years  of  his  life,  he  was  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church  ; 
and  the  rough,  and  almost  tii^cr-like  partisan,  became  as  humble  and  submissive  as  :i  Iamb, 
He  rose  to  the  rank  of  Colonel  in  the  militia.  He  was  tall  and  romni.'\n*ling  in  his  appe:ir:ince, 
jovial  and  affable  in  conversation  ;  yet  his  early  military  training  rendered  him,  to  the  last, 
stern  and  riL;id  in  discipline.  In  all  that  makes  up  the  man,  he  was  a  noble  specimen  if  ibi: 
Revolutionary  hero. 

'■'Ramsey's  Tennessee,  239;  MS.  correspondence  of  Dr.  Ramsey. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


287 


n 


Campbell's  regiment,  who  was,  at  that  moment,  endeavor- 
ing to  check  the  tiring  on  the  surre.idered  Tories ;  but  not 
regarding  himself  as  the  proper  officer  to  receive  this  ten- 
der ot"  submission,  the  Lieutenant,  without  due  reflection, 
courteously  invited  the  British  Captain  to  be  seated  ;  who 
looking  around,  and  seeing  no  seat,  promptly  squatted 
himself  upon  the  ground,  Kincannon  entering  into  conver- 
sation with  him.  Adjutant  Franklin,  of  Cleveland's  regi- 
ment, now  coming  up,  received  Ryerson's  sword,  the  latter 
remarking:  '"You  deserve  it,  sir!"*  Colonel  Campbell 
was  stalkin<r  around  amoncf  the  enemy  in  his  shirt  sleeves, 
and  his  collar  open,  and  when  some  of  the  Americans 
pointed  him  out  as  their  commander,  the  Britisli,  at  first, 
from  his  unmilitary  plight,  seemed  to  doubt  it,  but  a  number 
of  officers  now  surrendered  their  swords-  to  him,  until  he 
had  several  in  his  hands,  and  under  his  arm.f 

It  is  proper  to  adx'ert  briefly  to  Ferguson's  conduct  in 
the  battle.  It  was  that  of  a  hero.  lie  did  a^.l  that  mortal 
man  could  have  done,  under  the  circumstances,  to  avert  the 
impending  catastrophe.  Me  was  almost  ubiquitous — his 
voice,  his  presence,  and  his  whist/e  everywhere  animuted 
his  men,  either  to  renew  their  bayonet  charges,  or  maintain 
a  firm  stand  against  the  steadily  encroaching  mountaineers. 
But  he  trusted  too  much  to  the  bavonet  against  an  enemv  as 
nimble  as  the  antelope.  \  "lie  had,"  says  Doctor  Ferguson, 
"  tw(>  horses  killed  under  him,  while  he  remained  untouched 
himself;  but  he  afterwards  received  a  number  of  wounds, 
of  which,  it  is  said,  any  one  was  mortal,  and  dropping  from 
his  horse,  expired,  while  his  loot  3'et  hung  in  the  stirrup."  S 
This,  if  we  mav  credit  Lee's  Memoirs  of   the   H'ar  in  the 

'■' Jiid^'e  J.  F,  Graves'  sketch  of  his  grandfather.  Josse  J'ranklin,  in  the  sciomi  series  of 
Canithcrs  Inci.lenis  in  the  Old  Xorih  State,  pp.  .•03-4;  MS.  statement  of  Kiijah  Callaway; 
MS.  correspondence  of  Dr.  A.  \.  Kincannon.  of  Missoiir",  and  John  L.  Worth,  of  .Mt. 
Airy.  N.  C. 

t  Lieutenant  William  Russell.  James  Snodgrass.  James  Keys,  David  Campbell,  Henry 
Dickenson,  and  David  Dcaltie.  of  Campbell's  regiment,  and  William  King,  and  George 
Riitlcdpe,  of  Shelhy's  men. 

X  Johnson's  Creene^  i.  306. 

\  Memoir  of  Colonel  Ferguson,  33, 


i;H 


!'•) 


ill 


u 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 

Souths  and  Burin's  History  of  Virginia,  liappencd  after 
fifty  niiiuites'  fighting  ;  or  some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  before 
the  final  close  of  the  action  ;  and  about  three  minutes  before 
the  flag  was  displayed  for  surrender,  according  to  Thomas 
Maxwell,  one  of  Shelby's  men. 

As  long  as  Ferguson  lived,  his  unyielding  spirit  scorned 
to  surrender.  He  persevered  until  he  received  his  mortal 
wounds.  Ilis  fall  very  naturally  disheartened  his  followers. 
For  some  time  before  that  fatal  event,  there  was  really  nothing 
to  encourage  them,  save  the  faintest  hope  which  they  vainly 
cherished  of  momentary  relief  from  Tarleton.  Animated 
by  the  brave  example  of  their  heroic  leader,  and  still  con- 
fiding in  his  fruitful  military  resources,  they  had  maintained 
the  unequal  contest  under  all  disadvantages.  Losing  his 
inspiration,  they  lost  all — with  him  perished  the  last  hope 
of  success.  * 

Colonel  Ferguson  notonlv  made  a  sad  mistake  in  delav- 
ing  a  single  moment  at  King's  mountain  with  a  view  to  a 
passage  at  arms  with  his  pursuers  ;  but  he  committed,  if  pos- 
sible, a  still  more  grievous  error  in  tlie  supposed  strength  of 
his  posidon.  •'  His  encampment,"  says  the  South  Carolina 
historian,  Ramsay,  "  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  was  not 
well  chosen,  as  it  gave  the  Americans  an  opportunity  of 
covering  themselves  in  their  approaches.  Had  he  pursued 
his  march  on  charging  and  driving  the  first  part}'  of  the 
militia  which  gave  wa}',  he  might  have  got  off'  wiUi  the 
most  of  his  men ;  but  his  unconquerable  spirit  disdained 
either  to  flee  or  to  surrender."  The  historian,  Gordon,  takes 
the  same  view:  "Major  Ferguson  was  overseen  in  making 
his  stand  on  the  mountain,  which,  being  much  covered  with 
woods,  gave  the  militia,  who  were  all  riflemen,  the  oppor- 
timity  of  approaching  wear,  with  greater  safety  to  themselves 
than  if  the}'  had  been  upon  plain,  open  ground.  The  Major, 
however,  might  have  made  good  his  retreat,  if  not  with  the 
whole,  at  least  with  a  great  part  of  his  men,  had  he  pursued 


*Stedmaii'.s  American    H\tr,  ii,  223, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


289 


his  march  immediately  upon  his  chargin^^  aiul  dri\ing 
the  first  detachment ;  for  thougli  the  militia  acted  with  spirit 
for  undisciplined  troops,  it  was  with  diiliculty  that  they  could 
he  prevailed  upon  to  renew  their  attack,  after  heinL(  charged 
with  thehayonet.  They  kept  aloof,  and  continued  popping  ; 
then  gathered  round,  and  crept  nearer,  till,  at  length,  they 
leveled  the  Major  with  one  of  their  shots." 

General  Simon  Bernard,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
engineers,  and  aids-de-camp  of  the  great  Napoleon,  and  sub- 
sequently in  the  United  States  engineer  service,  on  examin- 
ing the  batde-ground  of  King's  Minmtain,  said:  ''The 
Americans,  by  their  victor}-  in  that  engagement,  erected  a 
monument  to  perpetuate  the  brave  men  who  had  fallen 
there  ;  and  the  shape  of  the  hill  itself  would  be  an  eternal 
monument  of  the  military  genius  and  skill  of  Colonel  Fer- 
guson, in  selecting  a  position  so  well  adapted  for  defence; 
and  that  no  other  plan  of  assault  but  that  pursued  by  the 
mountain-men,  could  have  succeeded  against  him."* 

One  of  our  best  historical  critics,  General  DePeyster, 
observes:  "Ferguson  set  an  inordinate  value  on  the  posi- 
tion which  he  had  selected,  wliich.  howe\er  strong  against 
a  rcLTular  attack,  was  not  defensible  against  the  attacks 
which  were  about  to  be  directed  upon  it.  How  grievously 
he  erred  as  to  the  intrinsic  availabilit}'  of  King's  Mountain 
as  a  military  position,  was  evinced  In'  his  remark  that  '  all 
the  Rebels  from  h — 1  could  not  drive  him  from  it.'  It  is  true, 
he  was  not  driven  from  it;  but  its  bald,  rocky  summit 
merely  served,  like  the  sacrificial  stone  of  the  Aztecs,  for 
the  imuKjlation  of  the  victims."  f 

The  historian,  Lossing,  who  visited  theballle-field  thirty 
odd  years  ago,  justl}'  observes:  "It  was  a  strange  place 
for  an  encampment  or  a  battle,  and  to  one  acquainted  with 
the  region,  it  is  difiicult  to  understand  why  Ferguson  and 
his  band  were  there  at  all."  X 

'•'  RaTusey's    History  of  Tennessee,  239. 
t  llislorical   Afagasiiie.   M;ircli,  1869.  194. 
J  Pictorial  Field  Book  0/  the  Reiolution,  ii,  4^3. 
19 


'1 

'  ■  i 

1 

.  \ 
\ 

A 
i 

•! 


i  \ 


Il 


.  J, 


I 


290 


K JAG'S  MOUNTAIN 


It  is  useless  to  speculate  on  what  might  have  changed 
the  fate  of  the  day  ;  yet  a  few  suggestions  may  not  be  out  of 
place  in  this  connection.  Trivial  circumstances,  on  critical 
occasions,  not  imfretjuenth'  produce  the  most  momentous 
consequences.  Had  Tarleton,  for  instance,  suddenly-  made 
his  appearance  before  or  during  the  battle — had  the  detach- 
ment at  Gibbs'  plantation,  near  the  Cowpcns,  or  INIoore's 
foraging  party,  vigorously  attacked  the  mountaineers  in  the 
rear,  during  the  progress  of  the  engagement,  and  especiall}' 
during  the  confusion  consequent  upon  the  repulses  of  Camp- 
bell's and  Shelby's  columns  ;  or  had  Ferguson  chosen 
suitable  ground  on  the  plains,  and  in  the  woods,  where  his 
men  could  have  availed  themselves  of  shelter  for  their  pro- 
tection, and  fought  on  an  equality  with  their  antagonists, 
the  resul*"  might  have  been  very  diflerent,  and  Ferguson 
have  been  the  hero  of  the  hour — and,  it  may  be,  the  fate  of 
American  Independence  sealed.  But  in  God's  good 
Providence,  such  a  fatal  blow  was  not  in  store  for  the 
suffering  patriots. 

Most  of  the  accounts  represent  that  the  British  Colonel 
was  killed  out-right.  He  is  said  to  have  received  six  or 
eight  bullet  holes  in  his  body — one  penetrating  his  thigh, 
another  re-shattering  his  right  arm  just  above  the  elbow  ; 
and  ^■et  he  continued  to  raise  his  sword  in  his  left  hand,*  till 
a  rifle  ball  piercing  liis  head,  put  an  end  to  further  lighting 
or   consciousness,  f     In    falling  from    his   I^orse,   or   while 


'■'MS.  stalement  of  Elijah  Callawny.  in  i8.j2. 

•|- Ramsay,  (iordon,  Smith,  in  his  Anuyidin  ll'ar,  Moultrie,  Judge  James,  Mills  and 
Foote  arc  among  tlic  .American  writers,  who  unite  in  declaring  that  I'"erguson  "received  a 
mortal  woiiiid,"  Stedman,  Mackenzie,  and  Lamb,  Tritish  writers,  all  ot  whom  were  con- 
nected with  ihc  Lritish  service  at  the  time,  make  the  same  assertion.  The  Ciyiuml'ian 
Afiigrtzinc,  Jyg^,  p.  32-5,  states  also  that  he  received  a  mortal  wound.  Dr.  John  Whelchel. 
of  Williams'  men,  asserts  in  his  pension  statement,  that  Ferguson  "  fell  mortally  wounded  ; '' 
and  William  White,  of  Lacey's  regiment,  in  his  pension  application,  says  "  he  was  mortally 
wouiuleil,  and  died  a  short  lime  afterwards," 

The  place  where  Ferguson  fell  is  indicated  on  the  diagrain  of  the  baitle-field,  near  the 
brow  of  the  south  eastern  portion  of  the  mountain,  opposite  to  McDowell  s  column,  but 
probably  where  Sevier's  men  had  advaiued  at  the  close  of  the  conflict,  when  the  enemy 
had  been  firced  to  that  quarter.  That  locality  was  pointed  out.  f,illy  fifty  years  ago,  by 
William  Logan,  a  survivor  of  the  battle,  to  his  grandson,  the  present  Col.  J,  U.  Logan,  and 
in  which.  Arthur  I'atlerson,  a  cotemporary  of  the  Revolution,  and  familiar  with  King's 
Mountain  all  his  life,  coincided. 


1 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


291 


being  conve3'ecl  to  tlie  rear,  ti  silver  whistle  dropped  from 
his  vest  pocket,  which  was  picked  up  by  one  of  his  soldiers, 
Elias  Powell,  who  preserved  it  many  3'ears  ;*  and  Powell, 
and  three  others,  as  John  Spelts  relates,  were  seen,  at  the 
close  of  tlie  surrender,  bearing  off,  in  a  blanket,  their  fallen 
chief  to  a  spring  near  the  mountain's  brow,  on  the  southern 
side  of  tlie  elevation  ;  and  there  gently  bolstered  him  up 
with  rocks  and  blankets.  One  of  the  Tories,  who  had  just 
grounded  his  gun,  taking  in  the  situation,  and  true  to  his 
plundering  instincts,  ran  up,  and  was  in  the  act  of  thrusting 
his  hand  into  the  dving  man's  pockets,  when  the  imfeeling 
intruder  was  repelled  by  one  of  the  attendants,  who,  rudel}^ 
pushing  him  away,  exclaimed  with  a  sarcastic  oath — '•  Are 
you  going  to  rob  the  dead  ? "  f  A  little  after,  Colonel  Shelby 
rode  up,  and  thinking  perhaps  that  Ferguson  might  yet  be 
sensible  of  what  was  said  to  him — though  he  evidentlv  was 
not — exclaimed  :  "  Colonel,  th  fatal  blow  is  struck — we've 
Burgoyned  you?";];  The  life  of  this  restless  British  leader 
soon  ebbed  away.  Some  of  the  more  dioughtless  of  the 
Whig  soldiery,  it  is  said,  committed  an  act  which  we  would 
lain  be  excused  from  the  pain  of  recording.  '*  The  moun- 
taineers, it  is  reported,  used  every  insult  and  indignity,  after 
the  action,  towards  the  dead  body  of  Major  Ferguson."^ 

So  curious  were  the  Whigs  to  see  the  fallen  British 
chief,  that  many  repaired  to  the  spot  to  view  his  body  as  it 
la}-  in  its  gore  and  glory.  Lieutenant  Samuel  Johnson,  of 
Cleveland's  regiment,  who  had  been  severely  disabled  in 
the  action,  desired  to  be  carried  tliere,  that  he,  too,  miglit 


'■'Powell  was  out  of  the  ymmg  men  imliiced  to  enlist  nniler  FerRiison's  banner,  and 
became  much  attached  to  his  commander  He  was  taken  prisoner  to  Hillshoro,  where 
he  was  paroled,  and  returned  to  his  widowed  mother,  who  lived  at  what  is  known  as 
Powellton,  two  miles  east  of  Lenoir,  Caldwell  County,  on  the  western  frontier  of  North 
Carolina.  There  he  lived  until  his  death.  May  5th.  1832.  The  silver  whistle  then  went  to 
one  of  his  decendaiits.  who  removed  West,  and  having  since  died,  the  relic  has  been  lost 
sight  of.  John  Spelts  related,  that  FerKUson  had  a  yet  larger  silver  whistle,  a  foot  in  length, 
which  fell  into  the  hands  of  Colonel  Slielby. 

fStateinent  of  S])elts. 

t  Related  by  Spelts  and  Thomas  H.  Shelby,  a  son  of  the  Colonel. 

'i  Tarleton's  C<tm/>.iig-its,  165. 


.'  ) 


■! 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 

look  upon  the  dying  or  lifeless  leader  of  the  enemy  whom  he 
had  so  valiantly  fought ;  when  Colonel  Cleveland,  and  two 
of  the  soldiers,  bore  the  wounded  Lieutenant  to  the  place 
of  pilgrimage  :  *  and  even  the  transfixed  Robert  IIenr\-,  amid 
his  pains  and  sulVerings,  could  not  repress  his  curiosity  to 
take  a  look  at  Ferguson.  It  was  probably  where  he  was 
conveyed,  and  breathed  his  last,  that  he  was  buried — on 
the  south-eastern  declivity  of  the  mountain,  where  his  mortal 
remains,  wrapped,  not  in  a  military  cloak,  or  hero's  coflln, 
but  in    a   raw   beef's    hide,  f    found    a  peaceful  sepulture. 

The  tradition  in  that  region  has  been  rife  for  more  than 
lift}'  years,  tliat  Ferguson  had  two  mistresses  with  him,  per- 
haps nominally  cooks — both  fme  looking  ^oung  women. 
One  of  them,  known  as  Virginia  Sal,  a  red  haired  ladv,  it  is 
related,  was  the  first  to  fall  in  the  battle,  and  was  buried  in 
the  same  grave  with  Ferguson,  as  some  assert :  or,  as  others 
have  it,  beside  the  British  and  Tory  slain  ;  while  the  other, 
Virginia  Paul,  survived  the  action  ;  and  after  it  was  over, 
was  seen  to  ride  around  ihe  camp  as  unconcerned  as  though 
nothing  of  unusual  moment  had  happened.  She  was  con- 
veyed with  the  prisoners  at  least  as  far  as  Biu'ke  Court 
House,  now  Morganton,  North  Carolina,  and  subsequently 
sent  to  Lord  Cornwallis"  army.  * 

That  almost  envenomed  hate  which  the  mountaineers 
cherished  towards  Ferguson  and  his  Tor}'  followers,  nerved 
them  to  marvellous  endurance  while  engaged  in  the  battle. 
They  had  eaten  little  or  nothing  since  they  left  theCowpens 
some  eighteen  hours  before — much  of  the  time  in  the  rain, 
protecting  their  rifles  and  ammunition  by  divesting  them- 
selves of  tlieir  blankets  or  portions  of  their  clothing  ;  and  they 
had  been,  since  leaving  Green  river,  for  over  forty  hours, 
without  rest  or  repose.  "  I  had  no  shoes,"  said  Thomas 
Young,  "  and  of  course  fought  in  the  battle  barefoot,  and, 

•■•  Statement  of  Lewis  Johnson,  a  son  of  the  Lieutenant, 
iMS.  letter  of  Dr.  W.  J.  T.  Miller,  July  30,  1880, 

!  MSS.  of  Dr,  John  U,  Locan;  MS.  letters  of  James  J.  Hampton,  Dr.  C,  L.  Hunter, 
Colonel  J.  R.  Logan,  an.l  Dr.  W.  J.  T.  Miller. 


I'-   '    I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


2S)?, 


when  it  was  over,  m}-  feet  were  much  lacerated  and  bleed- 
Others,  too,  must  have  suflered  from  the  llinty  rocks 


mg. 


"  * 


over  which  they  hurriedly  passed  and  re-passed  during  the 
enijaffement.  As  an  instance  of  the  all-absorbiu!^  clVect  of 
the  excitements  surroimding  them,  when  tlie  next  morning 
the  mountaineers  were  directed  to  discharge  their  guns,  '*  I 
fired  my  large  old  musket,"  said  Young,  "  charged  in  time 
of  the  battle  with  two  musket  balls,  as  T  had  done  every  time 
during  the  engagement ;  and  the  recoil,  in  this  case,  was 
dreadful,  but  I  had  not  noticed  it  in  the  action."! 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  the  Loyalist  force  under 
Ferguson  at  King's  INIountain  was  eight  hundred,  it  may 
be  interesting  to  state  what  little  is  known  of  the  respective 
numbers  from  the  two  Carolinas.  In  Lieutenant  Allaire's 
newspaper  narrative,  he  refers  to  the  North  Carolina  regi- 
ment, commanded  by  Colonel  Ambrose  Mills,  as  number- 
ing "  about  three  hundred  men."  A  Loyalist  writer  in  the 
London  Political  Mag-aziiic,  for  April,  1783,  who  appar- 
ently once  resided  in  the  western  part  of  North  Carolina, 
asserts  that  the  Loyalists  of  the  Salisbury  district — which 
embraced  all  the  western  portion  of  the  North  Province — 
who  were  with  Ferguson,  mmibered  four  hundred  and 
eicrhtv.  Deductiny  the  absent  foratiin<;  partv  under  Colonel 
Moore,  who  was  a  Nortli  Carolinian,  and  whose  detachment 
may  be  presumed  to  have  been  made  up  of  men  from  that 
Province,  we  shall  have  about  the  number  mentioned  by 
Allaire  remaining.  This  would  suggest  that  about  three 
hundred  and  twenty  was  the  strength  of  the  South  Canjlina 
Loyalists. 

As  the  North  Carolina  Tories  were  the  first  to  give  way, 
according  to  Allaire,  and  precipitate  the  defeat  that  followed, 
it  only  goes  to  prove  that  they  were  the  hardest  pressed  by 
Campbell  and  Shelby,  which  is  quite  probable  ;  or.  that  the 
South  Carolinians  had  been  longest  drilled  for  the  service. 


*  Rev.  James  H.  Saye's  MS.   conversatiuns   with   Thomas  Young,  of  Union   County, 
South  Carolina,  March  27,  1S43. 
f  Saye's  MSS. 


jr. 

III: 


h 


I  '  '5 


'iff    ' 


291 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


and  wore  consequently  best  prepared  to  maintain  their 
ground.  It  is  not  a  little  singular,  th.it  so  lew  ot"the  promi- 
nent Loyalist  leaders,  of  tlu'  Ninety  Six  district,  were  pre- 
sent with  Ferguson — only  Colonel  Vesey  Husband,  of 
whom  we  have  no  knowledge,  and  who,  we  suppose,  was 
in  some  way  associated  with  the  South  Carolina  Tories,  to- 
gether with  Majors  Lee  and  Plummer.  Where  were  the 
other  Loyalist  leaders  of  that  region — Colonels  Cunningham, 
Kirkland,  and  Clary,  Lieutenant-Colonels  Philips  and 
Turner,  and  Majors  Gibbs,  Hill,  and  Hamilton  ?  Some 
were  doubtless  with  the  part}'  w  hom  the  Whigs  had  passed 
at  Major  Gibbs'  plantation,  near  the  Cowpens,  or  possibly 
with  Colonel  Moore's  detachment ;  others  were  scattered 
here  and  there  on  furlough ;  but  they  were  not  at  King's 
Mountain,  when  sorely  needed,  with  all  the  strength  they 
could  have  brought  to  the  indefatigable  Ferguson.  That 
freebooter.  Fanning,  with  his  Tory  foragers,  who  were 
beating  about  the  country,  fell  in  with  Ferguson  live  days 
before  his  defeat ;  *  but  preferring  their  independent  bush- 
whacking  service,  they  escaped  the  King's  Mountain 
disaster. 

Paine,  in  his  American  Crisis,  berated  the  Loyalists  as 
wanting  in  manhood  and  bravery,  declaring:  "  I  should 
not  be  afraid  to  go  with  an  hundred  Whigs  against  a  thous- 
and Tories.  Every  Tory  is  a  coward,  for  a  servile,  slavish, 
self-interested  fear  is  the  foundation  of  Toryism  ;  and  a 
man  under  such  influence,  though  he  may  be  cruel,  can 
never  be  brave."  Yet,  it  must  be  confessed,  that  the 
Loyalists  evinced  no  little  pluck  and  bravery  at  King's 
Mountain.  But  they  had  been  specially  fitted  for  the 
ser\ice.  and  under  the  eye  of  a  superior  drill-master,  as  few 
Americans  had  been  in  either  army  ;  and  it  had  been  justly 
said,  that,  on  this  occasion,  they  fought  with  halters  around 
their  necks  ;    and  they,  too.  were  expert  riflemen. 

The  British  Southern  leaders  were   not  only  surprised 

«' Fanniiig's  Narrative,  13, 


AND  ITS  JIKROES. 


295 


and  cima/.ecl  beyond  measure,  but  were  filled  with  alarm  at 
the  unexpected  appearance  of  so  ibrniiilable  a  force — 
larirelv  exaiiLCeraled  as  it  was — from  border  settlements 
of  wliich  the\'  had  not  so  much  as  heard  of  their  existence. 
Lord  Rawdon,  in  his  letter  of  October  twenty-fourth,  1780, 
referrin<r  to  Ferguson's  miscarriage,  and  the  men  who 
confronted  and  defeated  him,  says:  "A  luunerous  army 
now  appeared  on  the  frontier,  drawn  from  Xolachucky, 
and  other  setUeinents  beyontl  the  mountains,  whose  very 
names  had  been  imknown  to  us ;  "  and  Mackenzie,  one 
of  Tarleton's  officers,  probably  mistaking  Nolachucky,  in 
what  is  now  East  Tennessee,  for  Kentucky,  states  in  his 
Strictures:  "  The  wild  and  iierce  inhabitants  of  Kentucky, 
and  other  settlements  westward  of  die  Alleghany  mount- 
ains, vmder  Colonels  Campbell  and  Boone,"  then  naming 
the  other  leaders,  '•  assembled  sudilenly  and  silently  ;  "  and 
adding,  that  these  mountaineers  "  advanced  with  the  inten- 
tion to  seize  upon  a  quantit}'  of  Indian  presents,  which  they 
understood  were  but  slighdy  guarded  at  Augusta,  and  which 
were,  about  that  time,  to  have  been  distributed  among  a 
body  of  Creek  and  Cherokee  Indians  assembled  at  that 
place." 

This  erroneous  statement  of  Mackenzie's  has  been 
adopted  by  Stedman  in  his  History  of  tlic  America n  War, 
and  by  Dr.  Ferguson,  in  his  iMoiioir  of  Colonel  Ferguson. 
So  critical  a  student  of  American  history  as  Gen.  J.  W. 
DePeyster,  has  fallen  into  the  error,  that  the  "dark  and 
bloody  ground"  of  Kentuck}-  contributed  her  quota  of 
iighting  men  for  King's  Mountain  battle.*  But  none  of  the 
King's  Mountain  men  came  from  that  region,  though  many 
of  them  subsequently  became  permanent  settlers  there  ;  and 
so  far  from  Colonel  Boone  having  participated  in  the  cam- 
paign, he  was  hundreds  of  miles  aw^av,  in  his  beloved 
Kentucky.  The  day  before  King's  Mountain  battle,  while 
he  and  his  brother,  Edward  Boone,  were  out  buflalo  hunting, 


UMl 


*  Historical  Magazine,  March,  1869.  p.  190. 


V    ''■ 


II 


I  1 


I'Wr 


-h 


i\ 


..I    «,f 


290 


A'/A'GS  MOUNTAIN 


lli(j  l.itter  WHS  shot  doiul  by  ;i  party  of  Indians,  conccalinl  in 
a  cane-l)rako,  some  liftoen  or  twenty  miles  from  Hooncsboro, 
and  the  former  made  good  his  escape  to  tliat  settlement ; 
and,  the  day  of  the  contest  on  King's  Mountain,  he  was  with 
a  party  in  pursuit  of  tlie  Indians  who  had  killeil  his  brother. 
Nor  is  it  in  any  sense  true,  that  the  plunder  of  Indian  goods 
at  Augusta  was  their  object — all  the  facts  go  to  disprove  anv 
such  intention.  Tiiis,  however,  seems  to  havt'  been  one  t)f 
the  moti\e.s  held  out  b}'  Colonel  Clarke  to  his  men  in  his 
attack  on  Augusta,  as  stated  by  Lee  in  his  Jlfcuioirs. 

There  is  no  great  discrepancy  among  the  dilferent 
authorities  as  to  the  length  of  time  occupied  by  the  engage- 
ment— if  we  discard,  as  we  must,  Mills'  inordinate  mistake, 
that  "the  battle  began  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  lasted  till  night."  A  writer  in  the 
Virgin/a  Arg'iis,  of  December  elex'enth,  1805,  evidently  a 
survivor  of  Campbell's  men,  says,  "in  forty-two  minutes  wi' 
made  them  beg  for  quarters,"  referring,  doubtless,  to  die 
time  (jf  Ferguson's  fall,  and  the  running  up  of  the  white 
flag.  General  Davidson,  in  his  lettc  r  to  General  Sunmer, 
states,  three  days  after  the  action,  on  the  authorit}-  of 
Major  Tate,  of  Lacey's  corps,  who  was  in  the  engage- 
ment, that  it  lasted  "forty-seven  minutes."  Lee,  in  his 
History  of  the  Southern  Cani/xf/i^i/s,  who  was  subsequently 
associated  in  service  with  Campbell,  declares  that  after 
"the  battle  had  raged  fjr  fifty  minutes,''  Ferguson  was 
shot,  when  the  fire  of  th(!  enemv  slackened,  and  their  sur- 
render followed.  Burk,  in  his  History  of  Virginia,  makes 
the  same  statement.  This  fixes  the  time,  as  nearly  as  we 
can  ascertain  it,  when  Ferguson  fell.  There  would  seem 
to  have  been  but  little  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  enemy 
after  the  loss  of  their  commander ;  it  coidd  have  been  pro- 
longed a  few  minutes  onlv  at  most.  Both  Tarleton  and 
Stedman,  British  authorides,  state  that  the  action  lasted 
"  near  an  hour." 

In  Colonel  Shelby's  letter  to  his  father,  written  October 
twelfth,  1780,  he  says  :  "  the  batde  continued  warm  for  an 


AND  ITS  JIEROFS. 


297 


hour ; "  ;iiul  he  wrote  the  sumo  chi}'  to  Colonel  Arthur 
Cunipl)cll,  that  *' the  llrhig  was  kept  up  with  fury,  ou  hoth 
sitles,  for  near  an  hour."  Hut  Cainpl:)ell,  Shelby,  ami 
Cleveland,  in  their  olllcial  account,  assert  that  "  a  lla<^  was 
hoistetl  by  Captain  DePeyster,  their  coinnumdinjLj  olFicer — 
Major  Ferguson  having  been  killed  a  little  while  before  ;  " 
that  "  the  engagement  lasted  an  hour  and  five  minutes."  The 
British  Captain  Ryerson  who  shared  in  the  contest,  states  in 
his  account  in  Rivingston's  New  York  Royal  Gazette^  of 
March  twenty-llrst,  1781 ,  that  "  the  action  lasted  an  hour  and 
five  minutes,  very  hot  indeed  ;  "  and  Lieutenant  Allaire,  an- 
other British  contestant,  says,  in  his  newspaper  narrative, 
that  "  the  action  was  severe  for  upwards  of  an  hour;  "  and, 
in  his  MS.  Diary ^  he  is  more  explicit,  staling  that  it  lasted  '■  an 
hour  and  five  minutes."  The  probabilities  arc  that  Doctor 
Johnson,  who  timed  by  his  watch  the  last  desperate  attack 
of  Campbell's  and  Shelby's  corps,  also  noted  the  duration 
of  the  battle,  from  its  commencement  to  the  final  suppression 
of  the  firing  on  the  Tories ;  and  that  Campbell  and  his 
associates  derived  from  him  their  knowledi/e  of  the  lenixth 
of  the  engagement,  and  which  ma\^  be  regarded  as  correct. 
The  exact  strength  and  losses  of  the  British  at  King's 
Mountain  can  only  be  approximately  determined.  Fer- 
guson's Rangers  may  be  set  down  at  one  hundred — though 
they  may  have  somewhat  exceeded  that  figure.  The 
general  esdmate  is,  in  round  numbers,  one  thousand  militia 
or  Loyalists,  w^hich  would  make  a  total  of  eleven  hundred  ; 
or,  perhaps  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-live,  as  the  Amei-ican 
oflicial  report  has  it,  ibunded  on  the  provision  returns  of  that 
dav.  In  General  Lenoir's  account  it  is  stated,  that  "not 
a  single  man  of  them  escaped  that  was  in  camp  at  die 
commencement  of  the  batde."  This  is  probably  true,  and 
goes  to  show  that  the  party  of  foragers  who  returned  at  the 
close  of  the  batde  and  fired  on  the  Americans,  mortally- 
wounding  Colonel  Williams,  had  left  previously  without 
coming  under  this  categor3^  It  is  pretty  evident  that 
a  detachment  left  camp  that  morning — doubtless  on  a  for- 


Ill 


II  . 


298 


AV.YG ' S  .UO  UXTAIN 


;i<^nn<^  oxpcdition  ;  ami  this  ri'lurninj^  party  were  probably 
a  portion  of  the  number.  Gorilon,  in  his  American  liar, 
usually  ^ood  authority,  says  four  huiulretl  and  forty  escaped  ; 
and  lla\  wooil's  Tc/Dwasrr  ^ixes  the  same  statement,  evi- 
dently eoj)ied  from  Gordon  ;  while  Mills'  Sfatisf/cs  of  South 
Carolina  gives  the  number  as  three  hundred.  Jnd^e 
Johnson,  in  his  Life  of  General  Greene,  says  two  hundred 
escaped ;  and  this  accords  with  the  statement  of  Alexander 
Greer,  one  of  Sevier's  men,  who  adds  that  ihey  were  under 
Colonel    iMoore,*  perhaps  the  Tory  commander   at   Ram- 

*  Whether  Colonel  John  or  r:4trick  Mnorc  is  the  one  referred  to,  \*  not  certain— proh- 
ahly  the  former,  as  Colonel  Ferguson  seemed  not  to  have  formed  a  good  opinion  of  the 
conduct  of  Patrick  Moore  in  failing  to  defend  Thicketty  Fort  the  preceding  July.  Moses 
Moore,  the  father  of  tolonel  John  Moore,  was  a  native  of  Carlisle.  Knglund,  whence  he 
migrated  to  Virginia  in  1745,  marrying  a  Miss  Winstdi:,  mar  Jame^-town,  in  that  I'ro%incc; 
and  in  1753,  settling  in  what  is  now  Gaston  County,  North  Carolina,  eight  miles  west  of 
Lincolnton.  Here  Jidin  Moore  was  born;  and  being  a  frontier  country,  when  old  enough 
he  was  sent  to  Cirain  ille  Ci  unty,  in  thai  I'rovim  c,  fur  Ins  education,  When  the  KevoUition 
broke  out,  he  hecaine  a  zealous  Loyalist ;  and  led  a  party  of  Tories  from  Tryon  County,  in 
Fehrii.iry,  1779,  to  Georgia,  and  uniting  with  Colonel  lioyd  on  the  way,  they  were  defeated 
by  Colnncl  Tiikens  at  Kettle  Creek,  I'.oyd  was  mortally  wounded,  and  Moore  escaped  to 
the  itritish  army  in  that  quarter  ;  and  is  said  to  have  participated  in  the  defence  uf  Savan- 
nah. In  Decemher  following,  he  v.'as  in  tlie  service  near  Moscley's  Ferry,  on  the  Ogeechce. 
lie  subseiiuently  returned  to  North  Carolina,  a  I.ieutenant-Colonel  in  Hamilton's 
corps  of  Loyalists,  and  prematurely  embodied  a  Tory  force,  near  Camp  Branch,  about  half 
a  mile  west  of  his  father  s  residence  ;  thence  marched  about  si.\  miles  north  to  Tory 
Branch,  and  thcnco  to  Ramsonr's  Mill,  on  the  South  Fork,  where  he  was  disastrously 
defeated.  June  20th,  1780,  escaping  with  thirty  others  to  Camden.  His  regiment,  the 
Royal  North  Carolini.xns,  participnteil  in  Gates'  defeat,  losing  three  killed  and  fourteen 
wounded -among  the  latter.  Colonel  Hamilton.  It  is  doubtful  if  Moore  participated  in  the 
action,  as  he  was  about  that  time  tinder  suspension,  threatened  with  a  court  martial  for 
disiihedieiue  of  orders  in  raisin^-  tlie  Loyalists  at  Ramsonr's  before  the  time  appointed  by 
Lord  Cornwallis;  but  it  was  at  Icneth  deemed  impolitic  to  bring  him  to  trial.  F.scaping 
from  King's  Mountain,  we  next  find  him  with  Captain  W:'.ters,  and  a  body  of  Tories, 
defeated  by  Colonel  Washington  at  Hammond's  Store,  South  Carolina,  December  -'Sth, 
1780.  Thonch  a  family  tradition  cominc  down  from  a  sist..  •  to  her  grandson,  John  H. 
Roberts,  of  Gaston  County,  represents  that  Moore  went  to  Carlisle,  England,  and  was  lost 
track  nf :  vet  the  better  opinion  is  founded  on  a  statement  by  a  North  Carolina  Loy.alist, 
published  in  the  Polftfn,/  Mnr'tr.t^r.  London,  April,  \i^^.  that  he  was  taken  prisoner  by 
Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  near  the  Wateree,  and  hanged.     He  left  no  family. 

A  few  words  about  Colonel  Pntrirk  Mnorr'  may  not  be  inappropriate  in  this  connection. 
He  was  of  Irish  descent,  and  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  early  settled  on  Thicketty  creek  in 
the  north  western  part  of  South  Curolina.  where  he  commanded  Fort  Anderson  or  Ihicketty 
Fort,  wbirh  he  surrendered,  without  firing  a  gun  to  Colonel  Shelby  and  associates.  He 
was  subsequently  captured  by  a  party  of  Americans,  according  to  the  tradition  in  his 
family,  near  Ninety  Sif.  and  was  supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  his  captors,  as  his  remains 
were  af'urwards  found,  and  recognised  by  his  great  height — six  feet  and  seven  inches.  His 
death  probably  occurred  in  itSi,  He  left  a  widow,  who  survived  many  years,  a  son  and 
three  daughters;  and  his  decendants  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  are  very  worthy 
people. 


m 


li! 


AND  ITS  JIKROES. 


290 


sour's  Mill.  Jos(>pli  Kerr,  ono  of  Williams'  nn>n.  after 
enumerating  the  killed  and  prisontM.s  of  lln«  t-nemv,  adds — • 
"  the  balanee  escaped."  (ieneral  Alexaiidi-r  Smythe,  who 
lived  on  the  Ilolston,  said  in  a  speech  in  Congress,  in  iHic), 
'•  only  twenty-one  escaped  " — referrin;^',  perhaps,  to  that 
party  of  foraj^t-rs  who  mortally  wounded  Colonel  Williams. 
Andrews,  in  his  Jlislory  of  the  War,  says  "  vt>rv  few 
escaped  ;"  and  Tarlelon  mentions  about  picking  up  some 
of  the  fugitives. 

\\\'  mav  conclude  that  Moon-'s  forairiuii'  detachment 
ninnbered  about  two  luuuhx-d  ;  which  would  have  left  about 
nine  hundred  alt(\gether  under  Ferguson  with  whom  to 
light  the  battle.  'V\\v  British  Lieutenant  Allaire  says,  the 
Loyalists  consisted  of  eiglit  hundred,  and  Ferguson's  corps 
of  otu'  hmulred,*  which  tallies  pretty  well  with  Tarleton's 
account  in  his  SonlJicni  Caiiijxin^iis,  of  about  one  thousand 
Loyal  militia,  supposing  that  two  hundred  of  them  were  on 
detached  service  at  the  time  of  the  battle  ;  and  it  agrees 
also  with  Lord  Rawdon's  statement,  made  towardtithe  close 
of  October,  that  Ferguson  had  "about  eight  hundred 
militia  "  in  the  engagement — to  this,  of  course,  should  be 
added  his  one  hundred  Provincial  Rangers.  Allaire,  and 
other  British  writers,  assuming  as  true  that  the  exaggerated 
account  of  the  entire  Whig  strength,  including  those  in  the 
rear,  was  well-nigh  three  thousand,  assign  as  a  reason  of 
their  overwhelming  defeat,  the  great  superiority  of  their 
antagonists — three  to  one,  as  they  assert,  against  them.  In 
point  of  fact,  the  numbers  of  the  opposing  forces  were  about 
equal ;  and  it  was  their  persistency,  their  pluck,  and  excel- 
ling in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  that  gave  the  mountaineers  the 
victory. 

Both  in  Allaire's  New  York   Ga~cllc  and   MS.  Diar\ 


*  Allaire's  account  in  thti  New  Vork  Royal  Gazette,  February  24.  1781  :  aiul  in  his  MS. 
Diary,  kindly  cuniniiinicated  by  his  yrandsun,  J.  DeLamcy  Rubinson,  of  New  lirunswick. 
Stedman  jjives  Pergiison's  as  ninr  hundred  and  sixty;  Mrs.  Warren,  in  her  History  0/  the 
Revolution,  ei^lit  hundred  and  fifty.  The  Urilisli  historian.  Andrews,  in  his  History  of  the 
War.  still  furilier  diminishes  the  number — killed  and  wounded  upwards  of  three  hundred, 
and  four  hundred  prisoners. 


800 


A'/.W/'.V  .]/iH'\/'.l/.V 


iUiounts,  lu-  St, lies  lli.il  llu>  Hiilisli  losi  on  llu-  licld  .iiid 
in  prisoiicr.s,  ;is  loll  )\\,s  :  ()t"llir  rmviiiii.il  viups.  C'oloiul 
1'\m"j;usoii,  LiiMitrn.iiit  Mt'lMiiiiis  ami  lii^iiirni  piivaU's, 
ttUal.  twi'Uly  killi-il  ;  (.'aptaiii  Kyrfsoii  aiul  lliiil\-l\\i>  Sri- 
j.;'(>an(s  .mil  pi  i\  alr.s,  lolal,  lliii  l\  ihin-  w  miiulrd  making;  (lu> 
kilii'tl  ami  wnuiulrd  lo^i'llur,  lllu -lliirc  ;  (wn  C'aplaius, 
loiif  1  ariiunanls.  ilin-i'  ICiisij^ns,  onr  Sui  i;i-(>ii.  ainl  lill\-toiif 
Sori^oants  ami  |n  i\  atos,  iiulmliiit;'  llu-  wdiiiulnl.  inakm<;  a 
tutal  ol  .si\l\ -loui"  luisoiu'i.s  slmwiut;,  ai  vonliiij;  to  this 
ai'i'ouiil.  oii!\  thiily-oiii"  ol"  l'\'rmi,soir.s  lorps  \\  ho  I'svapcil 
bciii!.;'  killi'il  or  woiiiulril.  'Tiiis.  lio\vi'\rr,  is  a  inaiiilrst 
riroi',  t'of  tin-  tlt*!\ -thioo  killfil  ami  wouinlrd,  ami  thiil\-«)m' 
iminjurrd  im-n  woiiKl  aiKl  up  oiil\  i-i^l''  lour,  wlun-as, 
I       ■ 


ii'iilcnau 


I    Al 


anr   i"oiu"i'ili"s   tliat    tluM'o    w  > 


al    till'  roui- 


lUvMUiMUcnl  i>l  llu'  hatlK\  om-  luiuihril  ol"  l-'on^'usou's  I'oips. 
In  this  I'siiiuali'  ol"  pri.souris,  lu-  iliil  not  prohaMx  iui  huK' 
tho  survivors  of  I  afuli-naiit  'Paxloi's  t\\iMit\  iliai;ooiis,  auil 
ton  wa^ciiuTs.  tak.ii  Troiu  tlu-  l-iaum'is  inoro  than  ououidi 
to  uiako  up  llio  lull  I'oiuplcuu'iil  assi^iU'd  to  iho  Pioxin- 
lials     b\'    ihal    oil! 


liT 


also   stall's,    that    llu 


.o\ 


lists 


indivvl    killed,  uiuil\ 


koii. 


ikOUUlLI 


lost  "  \\\  i>!lu-ors   ami    pruati's,   ouo   lui 
wouiulod,  and  about  six  hundroil   prisotiois. 
till'    |>risom>rs  at   six    luuulrod  ami   ton,  aud   iho  killod  and 
aiio    ii-|>iMts    tlirin.  would  make  up   tlio   lull 


WOUIUlOl 


1  as   Al 


amouul   ol    llio   sup|>o;.aMr  'Torx    toiio      i'ii;lit    luiiuhi'd. 

It  is  slalod  in  llu-  I'llioial  lopoi  t  ol  ^.'ainplu-ll  and  his 
assoi-ialos.  thai  ol  l'\'i;;iisou's  oorps  nir  'loon  won 
and  thir!\  li\o  woundod  oxooodiin;-  Allair 
ono  onl\  ;  but  Uiakinj^'  rl"  tho  odioors  ami  pri\atos  sixt\- 
oiLjht  piisonoi's,  wliiili  would  .-ooui  lo  lia\o  imlmlod  oul\    a 


.illoil, 
o's  aoiouut   b\ 


nai't  ol    iho  w  ouuil 


thai  iho    1  Olios  had  two  huudrod  and 


six     l^llU'il,     tuu 


iuimhid    auii    1\\  ont\ -oiyht    woundod 


ami 


lorts-oii^lil  ollii-i-rs  ami  sis  humhod  j>ri\alos  mado  |>i  isoiu  is 


-thus  ai'ooimtiui;   lor   a   total  ot   I'io\  imial- 
ot"  oloxon  hiiiulri'd  ami  llui'i-. 


:m 


I    I 


o\  alisls 


Unl\    li\o  davs  allor  iho    balllo,   C'oloml    Sliollw  ,   in    a 


./A/)  //'.v  ///:a'0/s. 


801 


Kmu-i    lo  liis    I'.ilhi'f,   st.itnl   tin-  loss  ol    l'\'i|;usi>irs  i-oips  at 
lliirlv    killed.  twiiiU    c\rU\  Wiuiiulrj.  .iiul  lill\    srvcii  piisoii- 


kilK 


ih.U    lln 


(U  ir 


II, ul 


oiu- 


liiiiulivHl    .iiui    i\\  riil\ -si'vcn 


lull 


hiiiuh'i'd 


,111(1 


uhril    .iiiil    twriilv    li\«'    womuK'il.    .iiul    six 
l(>it\    niiu-  prisiMU'is;  o\    bolli  iKissril  lomilicr. 


(Uir  liiiiulii-tl  .iiul   liH\    si'Nt'il    kilKil.  owe 


liiiiiili  ril 


,uu 


lillN- 


llin- 


.oiiiuK'il,  .md  seven  Iniiulieil  .mil  m\  [Misdiiers      lol.il 


line    llioiis.iiul 


.iiul 


siMeeu. 


lere    i: 


.1    ililleieiue   cl     tlie 


.IIU 


tl  ol   llie   Ttirii's  .iliMie.  ol    se\  eiil  \  -iriie,  be!\\  eeu  Slielln  's 


.st.iiemeni  !o  liis  l.illiei  .  ,mil  llie  ollui.il  .u'eniiiU.  whieli  he  i.s 


suppeseil 


lo  1 


i.i\  e  ilr,i\\  II 


I  up.  .iiiil  sii;iieil  .1  lew 


tl.i\ 


.Iter,  III 


I'oiijiiiu  lion  wilii  ^.".iinpbe!!   .iiul  C"le\eKiiul.       Tliis   iliserep- 


aii'N     IS    iiii;u'i'oiiul,ii>le.    e\iepl    oil 


-ui>!ioMlioii   lli.il  (he 


ollu'Kil  sl,ileuieul   w  .is    ili-sii; 'leiK  as    (.  oloiiel    .Slu' 


in 


.ilU'Ui'S 


III     Ills     M.MialUl'  ol     I.S.' 


lo 


iM\e    tone    lo  pul^lie    repi 


aiul 


I'ontessnu 


w  llll.li 


lll.ll        II        W.I.' 


m.uiuiale 


Ml, 


.uu 


iiuleliiiile."       'Ilie   piohabililii's   .ire   lli.il    the   lupines  ol    tlie 
p.llriols,  .IS    to  ihe    e\lenl    ol    the    losses   i>l    the    eiieiii\  .  \\  ei  e 


loiisiilei  .iIm\    o\  er -( 


liiii.ileil  lor  puhlie   elleil  ;    aiul    lli.il    llie 


111  isonei; 


w  r\c     souiew  li.it 


iipw  .lUl 


si\     luiiulieil 


.St. Ill 


III  (  leiier.i!  (  n 


eeiie  s  iiKliUiseripts 


aiul  w  hull 


A! 


.IS 


.lire 


praelie.iii\    ioiiluius    h\     sl.ilm;;    lh.it  tlie\    weie  ••  .ihoiil    si\ 
hiiiulrt\l."" 

"  l']\a^;;er.ilion  ol   siueesslul  operulioiis.  '  w  roU-  (.'oloiiel 

t 


lo  (  ieiu  r.il  (  II  eeiu 


w  as  eh.ir.u'tenslie  ol  the  limes 


aiul 


ihis  w.is.  peih.ips,  e\eiis,ihle  in  this  iuslaiu'e,  siiue  a 
total  ilele.it  ol  the  eiuiuv  .  like  tli.il  ol'  I'^emiison's  .it  Kiiii;".s 
Moiinl.iiii.  was  a  eireiiu.  I.iiue  i>t  r.iie  oei  iii  reuee,  ami  the 
\\  hiL;s  piohahly  lluniqht  il  w  a.s  wi'll  lo  iiiaki-  the  most  ol"  it 
|ore\i\e  the  ilroopiui;'  spiiit.s  t^f  ihe  people.  l.o\e  ot" 
ioiiiiliv  pieiiiuuiu.iU  il  o\  er  ,iii\  mere  ipieslious  ol"  e.isuis|i\  ; 
aiul  thus  .'^iielhv  .uul  liis  assoei.Ues  w  ei  e  not  o\  ei-iiiee  .ihoiit 
the  m.ilieidl    tlu'eiiemv's   mi'ubers.  so   tli.il  llie\    were  only 


ii-presei 


Ueil  siillieieiil'x   l.ir;';e   to  m.ike  .i  iKh  ideil  impn-ssioti 


'  ihrvnv't  /.(/if  ,</ X   -Hrr,!    •:>ttMr, 


iii.  7S. 


■  tiirriir'N   (.'• 


fi'ie.  til,  iii. 


M 


14 


.|4 . 


302 


KING'S  MO  UN  TAJ iV 


on  the  minds  of  all  classes,  encouraging  the  friends  of  free 
dom,  and  equally  depressing  their  enemies. 

Of  the  killed  and  wounded  of  the  Americans,  it  is  less 
difficult  to  get  at  tlie  facts;  or  at  least  they  are  not  involved 
in  such  contradictory  statements  as  those  relating  to  the 
British  losses.  Colonel  Shelby,  in  his  letter  to  his  father, 
October  twelfth,  1780,  mentions  six  oflicers  and  twenty  three 
privates  killed,  and  lifty-four  wounded  ;  but  adds,  that  he 
believes,  with  more  accurate  returns,  the  killed  will  prove 
to  be  thirt3'-live,  and  the  wounded  between  fift}'  and  sixty. 
Colonel  Campbell,  in  his  letter  of  October  twentieth,  places 
the  number  at  about  thirt}-  killed,  and  sixty  wounded. 
In  the  official  report,  made  out  apparently  somewhat  later, 
and  hence  more  reliable,  the  killed  are  stated  at  twenty- 
eight,  and  the  wounded  at  sixt3'-two. 

In  the  command  of  Williams,  Brandon,  Steen  and  Ham- 
mond, we  have  no  record  of  any  loss  save  that  of  their 
gallant  leader,  and  the  person,  whose  name  is  unknown, 
who  had  a  presentiment  of  his  death  ;  and  William  Giles, 
as  already  related,  slightly  wounded.  Among  the  South 
Carolinians  under  Lacey  and  Hawthorn,  no  killed  are 
reported,  save,  perhaps,  David  DutT  and  William  Watson, 
who  probably  belonged  to  this  corps,  and  but  one  wounded, 
Robert  Miller,  of  Chester  County,  who  was  badh'  disabled 
in  his  thigh.  In  both  of  these  commands  there  were  prob- 
ablv  other  losses.  Of  the  Rutherford  men  under  Colonel 
Hampton,  John  Smart*  and  Preston  Goforth  were  killed, 
and  Major  James  Porter  and  William  Robertson  wounded  ; 
but  of  McPowell's  Burke  County  men,  we  have  no  know- 
ledge of  any  deaths  or  disabilities. 

The  Lincoln  County  men,  considering  their  small  num- 
ber, suftered  considerably  in  the  engagement — Major 
Chronicle,  Captain  Mattocks,  William  Rabb,  John  Boyd, 
and  Arthur  Patterson,  killed,   and  Moses    Henry    mortally 

*  Smart  was  killed  by  a  Tory  named  Hiiijhe';.  Inafter  years,  John  Smart  Jr.  lipniinc 
of  Iliiqhcs  in  West  Tennessee,  started  on  a  mission  to  seek  the  Tory's  life,  but  never 
returned. — W.  L.  Twitty. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


303 


wounded;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ilambrijrht,  Captain  Espcy, 
Robert  Henry,  William  Gilmer,  Jolm  Chittim,  *  and 
William  Bradley,  wounded.  There  must  have  been  other 
losses ;  for  ot'  Captain  Samuel  Martin's  company  ot'  about 
twenty  men,  he  relates  in  his  pension  statement,  that  lour 
were  killed,  and  two  mortally  wounded. 

Of  Sevier's  regiment,  William  Steele,  John  Brown, 
and  Michael  Mahoney,  are  known  to  have  lost  their  li\es  in 
the  contest ;  while  Captain  Sevier  was  mortally,  and  one 
Gilleland  and  Patrick  Murphy  se\'erely  wounded.  Near 
the  close  of  the  action.  Captain  Sevier,  while  stooping  to 
pick  up  his  ramrod,  received  a  buck-shot  wound  near  his 
kidney;  after  the  action,  the  British  Surgeon,  Doctor 
Johnson,  endeavored  to  extract  the  shot,  but  failed  in  the 
effort;  dressed  his  wound,  savinjj  if  he  would  remain 
quiet  awhile,  the  shot  could  be  extracted,  and  he  would 
probably  recover ;  but  if  he  attempted  to  return  home  at 
once,  his  kidneys  would  inflame,  and  about  the  nintli  d<iy 
he  would  expire.  Fearing  to  be  left  behind,  lest  the  Tories 
might  wreak  their  vengeance  on  him,  he  started  on  horse- 
back for  his  Nolachucky  home,  accompanied  b}^  his 
nephew,  James  Sevier.  On  the  ninth  day,  w'hen  at  Bright's 
Place  on  tlie  Yellow  Mountain,  preparing  their  frugal  meal, 
he  was  suddenly  taken  worse,  and  died  within  an  hoiu%  and 
his  remains,  wrapped  in  his  blanket,  were  interred  beneath 
a  lofty  mountain  oak. 

After  the  battle,  among  the  stores  captured  from  the 
enem}'  was  a  keg  of  rum,  some  of  which  was  conveyed  to 
the  wounded  Pat  Murpliy,  with  which  to  bathe  his  wound. 
IIehad'''een  shot  across  the  windpipe  in  front,  cutting  it 
considerably.  Pat  held  the  cup  while  a  companion  gave 
the  wound  a  f  lithful  bathmg  :  this  done,  he  swallowed  the 
remainder,  remarking  with  much  saii^' /raid,  "a  little  /;/ 
was  as  good  as  oiif.^'  \ 

*  Chittim  w:is  plnced  on  the    iiivniid  roll   of  pensioners  in    1815,   drawing   seventy-two 
dollars  a  year,  till  his  death,  Dei  eniher  24,  1818. 

f  Statement  of  tlic  late  Major  John  Sevier,  a  son  of  Colonel  Sevier. 


•^mmm9 


J 


304 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Colonel  Shelby's  regiment  no  doubt  suHcred  from  losses 
in  the  action  ;  but  the  particulars  are  wanting,  save  that 
Captain  Shelby,  William  Cox,  and  John  Fagon  wore 
wounded.  As  Shelby's  men  encountered  hard  fighting,  and 
were  repeatedly  charged  do\\n  the  mountain,  they  must 
necessarily  have  lost  some  of  their  number,  and  had  more 
wounded  than  the  three  whose  names  are  mentioned. 

Ot'  the  Wilkes  and  Surry  men,  imder  Cleveland  and 
Winston,  we  have  only  the  names  of  two  men  killed — 
Thomas  Ijicknell,  and  Daniel  Siske,  of  W^ilkes  County ; 
Major  Lewis,  Captains  Lewis,  Sm.ith,  and  Lenoir,  Lieu- 
tv^nants  Johnson  and  J.  M.  Smith,  Charles  Gordon,  and 
John  Childers  wounded — tlie  latter  badlv.  Where  so  manv 
officers  were  disabled,  there  must  have  been  several  otliers 
of  this  gallant  retriment  killed  and  wounded. 

Colonel  Campbell's  Virginians,  who  fought  so  noblv  and 
persistently  throughout  the  action,  met  with  severer  losses 
than  an}'  other  regiment  engaged  in  this  hard  day's  contest. 
Of  the  killed  were  Captain  William  Edmondson,  Lieutenants 
Reece  Bowen,  William  Blackburn,  and  Robert  Edmondson, 
Sr.,  Ensigns  Andrew  Edmondson,  John  Beattie,  James 
Corry,  Nathaniel  Dry  den,  Nathaniel  Gist,  James  Philips, 
and  Ilumberson  Lyon,  and  private  Henry  Ilenigar. 
Lieutenant  Thomas  jNIcCulloch,  and  Ensign  James  Laird, 
who  were  mortally  wounded,  died  a  few  da3-s  thereafter. 
Captain  James  Dvsart,  Lieutenants  Samuel  Newell,  Robert 
Edmondson.  Jr.,  and  eighteen  privates  wounded,*  of  whom 
were  Fredrick  Fisher.  Jolm  Skeggs  Benoni  Banning, 
Charles  Kilgore,  William  Bullen,  Leonard  Hyce,  Israel 
Hayter.  and  William  Moore,  who  recovered.  The  names 
of  the  other  ten  disabled  "Virginians  have  not  been  preserved. 

So  badlv  wounded  was  William  Moore,  that  his  leg  had 
to  be  amputated  (m   the  field.      lie  was  necessarily  left  at 

*  Samiiel  Newcll's  letter  to  neneral  Francis  Preston,  states  that  Camiibell's  regiment 
held  thirty-five  killed  and  wounded.  As  fourteen  were  killed  including  two  officers  who 
shortly  after  died  of  their  wounds,  it  would  leave  twenty-one  wounded,  three  of  «  lioni 
were  officers. 


n  r 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


305 


some  good  Samaritan's  ;  but  when  his  associates  returned 
to  their  distant  1  lolston  homes,  and  told  the  story  of  their 
victor}',  and  its  cost  in  hie  and  suiVering,  iiis  devoted  wife, 
on  learning  her  husband's  terrible  misfortune,  thougli  in  the 
month  of  November,  mounted  her  horse  and  rode  all  the 
long  and  dreary  journe}'^  to  the  neighborhood  of  King's 
Mountain — such  was  the  intrepidity  of  the  fronder  women, 
as  well  as  the  men,  of  those  trying  times  ;  and  having  nursed 
him  until  sufficiently  recovered,  she  conveyed  him  home,  and 
he  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  *  dying  in  1826,  after  having 
received  from  the  Government  an  invalid  pension  for  thirty- 
seven  years. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  thirteen  officers  to  onl}-  a  single 
private  of  Campbell's  men,  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded 
during  the  battle — nearly  one-half  of  the  fatalities  of  the 
whole  Whig  force  engaged  in  the  contest.  This  disparity  of 
losses  between  the  leaders  and  privates  is  a  striking  proof 
how  fearlessly  the  officers  exposed  themselves  in  rallying 
the  regiment  when  broken,  and  leading  on  their  men  by 
their  valor  and  heroic  examples  to  victory.  One-third  of 
the  wounded  w^ere  of  Campbell's  regiment.  Another 
remarkable  fact  is,  that  of  eight  Edmondsons  of  the 
Virginia  troops,  engaged  that  da}-,  three  were  killed,  and 
one  was  wounded — all  prominent  and  efficient  offiicers  of 
that  corps  ;  the  survivors  having  been  William  Edmondson, 
the  major  of  the  regiment,  and  privates  John,  Samuel,  and 
William  Edmondson. 

Thus  the  names  of  those  who  fell  and  those  who  were 
disabled,  of  the  several  Whig  regiments,  so  far  as  we  have 
been  able  to  collect  them,  number  twenty-six  killed,  and 
a  nameless  one  of  Hammond's  men,  who  fell,  who  had  a 
premonition  of  his  fate  ;  and  thirty-six  wounded.  Thert- 
must  have  been  several  others  killed,  beside  those  whose 
names  are  given  in  the  several  lists,  and  some  twenty-six 

"  MS.  Statements  of  the  late  Ciovernor  Pavid  Campbell,  and  W'm.  O.  G.  Lowry,  Clerk 
of  the  Court  of  Washington  County,  Viryinia — the  latter  a  great  grandson  of  this  patriotic 
couple. 

20 


m" 

\i]:\.\. 


y    \\ 


■\  I  }\ 


i!il 


ri 


30G 


KING 'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


additional  ones  wounded.  It  does  not  appear  that  there  was 
a  single  Surgeon  among  the  Americans,  and  Doctor  Johnson 
only,  of  three  Surgeons  of  Ferguson's  men,  survived,  who 
seems  to  have  generously  attended  the  wounded  of  the 
Whigs,  as  well  as  those  of  his  own  corps.  But  the  frontier 
people  wire  much  accustomed,  from  necessity,  with  splints, 
bandages,  and  slippery  elm  poultices,  to  treating  gun-shot 
wounds  and  other  disabilities. 

Not  very  long  after  the  close  of  the  action.  Captain  John 
Weir,  of  that  part  of  Lincoln  now  comprising  Gaston 
County,  arrived  with  his  company,  having  heard  of  the 
advance  of  the  mountaineers  ;  and  may  have  heard,  in  the 
distance,  the  reports  of  the  eighteen  hundred  rillcs  and 
muskets  of  the  Whigs  and  Tories  that  reverberated  from 
King's  Mountain  over  the  surrounding  country.*  Captain 
Robert  Shanncni,  a  brave  Irishman,  also  of  Lincoln  County, 
hastened  with  his  company  likewise  to  the  Held  of  battle. 
And  not  a  few  of  the  scattered  settlers  of  that  region,  men 
and  women,  repaired  to  the  battle-ground  to  learn  the  news, 
antl  render  whatever  aid  they  could  under  the  circum- 
stances. Among  them  was  Mrs.  Ellen  McDowell,  and  her 
daughter  Jane,  having  heard  the  ilring  from  their  house, 
went  to  the  scene  of  strife,  where  they  remained  several 
(lavs  nursini!"  and  attendiuir  to  the  wounded  soldiers. 

After  the  battle  quite  a  number  were  appointed  to  count 
up  the  losses  ;  but  their  reports  were  so  contradictory  that 
little  reliance  could  be  placed  in  them — apparently  repeating 
the  process   of  counting  them,  in   some  instances,  so  that 


■'Captain  Weir  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1743,  where  he  early  marrieil  a  Miss  McKelvey. 
Their  eldest  son  was  hum  in  Ireland,  soon  after  which  they  emigrated  to  America,  set- 
tling on  linlTalo  Creek,  at  what  is  now  known  as  Weir's  P.ridge,  in  Gaston  County,  North 
Carolina.  Weir  wa>  early  commissioned  a  Captain,  and  was  much  engaged  in  scouting 
service  during  the  Uevolution.  His  activity  in  the  Whig  cause  excited  the  ire  of  the 
Tories.  Just  liefore  the  hattle  of  the  Cowpens.  he  was  caught  and  severely  whipped  by  a 
Tory  party,  and  left  in  the  woods  securely  tied  to  a  tree;  hut  was  fortunately  soon  after 
found,  and  released  liy  liis  friends.  On  another  oci  asion.  his  wife  was  whipped  by  the 
Tories  f.>r  refusing  to  divulge  to  them  the  place  of  lier  husband's  concealment.  She  died, 
August  II,  iSi(),  and  he  on  the  .}th  of  September  following,  in  his  seventy-si.xth  year.  Both 
were  long  members  of  the   Presbyterian  church,  and  left  many  worthy  descendants. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


;i07 


the  aggregate  results  greatly  exceeded  the  facts  in  the  case. 
Among  llie  natural  rocky  defenses,  where  many  of  the 
Tories  had  posted  themselves,  upwards  of  twenty  of  their 
dead  bodies  were  found,  completely  jammed  in  between  the 
rocks,  who  had  been  sliot  directly  through  the  head*  — 
so  fatally  accurate  was  the  aim  of  the  mountain-riflemen 
when  their  antagonists  ventured  to  peep  out  from  their 
chosen  fastnesses. 

Some  considerable  time  was  necessarily  emplo3'ed  in 
getting  the  prisoners  properly  secured,  and  in  giving  such 
attention  to  the  wounded  Whigs  as  the  circumstances  would 
permit ;  Colonel  Williams  being  taken  into  one  of  the 
British  markees,  as  were  doubtless  many  others.  Doctor 
Johnson,  of  Ferguson's  corps,  seems  to  have  been  the  good 
Samaritan  of  the  occasion,  rendering  such  professional 
services  as  he  could,  alike  to  the  Whigs  and  his  brother 
Provincials ;  while  the  wounded  of  the  poor  Loyalists 
appear  to  have  been  left  pretty  much  to  their  fate. 

The  truth  is,  that  rarely,  if  ever,  did  a  body  of  eighteen 
hundred  lighting  men  come  into  conflict,  with  so  litttle  pro- 
visions to  supply  their  wants.  Tire  Americans,  in  their 
desperate  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  trusting  to  luck,  had  literally 
nothing  ;  while  Ferguson  had  been  scarcely'  anv  more  prov- 
ident in  securing  needful  supplies.  The  country  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  King's  Mountain  was  but  sparsely 
settled  at  that  period.  "  It  was  dark  again  we  got  the 
prisoners  under  guard,"  says  the  unknown  chronicler  of 
Campbell's  regiment,  who  left  us  his  narrative  of  the 
campaign  and  battle. 

Many  a  souvenir  was  appropriated  by  the  victors. 
Captain  Joseph  McDowell,  of  Pleasant  Garden,  secured 
some  of  Ferguson's  table  service — six  of  his  cliina  dinner 
plates,  and  a  small  coflfee  cup  and  saucer;  several  of  which 
interesting  war  trophies  are  vet  retained  among  his  descend- 
ants.!      Colonel    Shelby    obtained    the    fallen    Chieftain's 

*  Statements  of  Silas  Mcnee  and  John  Spelts  to  the  author. 

+  MS.  letters  of  Mrs.  R.  M.  I'earson,  and  Miss  N.  M.  McIJowell.  granddaughters,  and 
Miss  Anna  M.  Woodfin,  a  great  grand-daughter,  of  Captain  McDowell, 


!   tfi 


UJ»1 


!  ! 


■ 


308 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


famous  silver  whistle,  while  the  smaller  one  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Elias  Powell ;  and  Colonel  Sevier  secured  his  silken  sash, 
and  Lieutenant-Coloners  commission,  and  DePevster's 
sword.  Colonel  Campbell  secured  at  least  a  portion  of  his 
correspondence.  Fer^aison's  white  charger,  who  had 
careered  down  the  mountain  when  his  niaster  was  shot  from 
his  back,  was,  by  general  consent,  assigned  to  the  gallant 
Colonel  Cleveland,  who  was  too  unwieldy  to  travel  on  foot, 
and  who  had  lost  his  horse  in  the  action.  Samuel  Talbot, 
tj.rning  over  Ferguson's  dead  body,  picked  up  his  pistol, 
which  had  dropped  from  his  pocket.  His  large  silver  watch, 
as  round  as  a  turnip,  fell  into  the  hands  of  one  of  Lacey's 
men  ;  and  Doctor  Moore,  in  his  I^i/c  of  Lacey,  says  he 
frequently  saw  it ;  that  it  traded  for  about  forty-five  or  lifty 
dollars  as  a  curiosity. 

"  Awful,  indeed,"  says  Thomas  Young,  "  was  the  scene 
of  the  wounded,  the  dying  and  the  dead,  on  the  field,  after 
the  carnage  of  that  dreadful  day."  *  "  We  had,"  observed 
Benjamin  Sharp,  "  to  encamp  on  the  ground  with  the  dead 
and  wounded,  and  pass  the  night  amid  groans  and  lamen- 
tations."! "My  father,  David  Witherspoon,"  remarks  his 
son,  "  used  to  describe  the  scenes  of  the  battle-ground  the 
ni<iht  after  the  contest  as  heart-rendinsr  in  the  extreme — 
the  groans  of  the  dying,  and  the  constant  cry  of  "water! 
water !  "  \  "The  groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying  on  the 
moimtain,"  said  John  Spelts,  "  were  truly  affecting — 
begging  piteoush'  for  a  little  water ;  but  in  the  hurr}',  con- 
fusion, and  exhaustion  of  the  Whigs,  these  cries,  when 
emanating  from  the  Tories,  were  little  heeded."  § 

"Tlie  red  rose  grew  pale  at  the  blood  that  was  shed, 
And  the  white  rose  blushed  at  the  shedding." 

Such  was  the  night  on  King's  Mountain  immediately 


♦Young's  Memoir \n  tlie  Orion  magazine. 
■j-Sh-irp's  narrative  in  the  American  I'io'ieer. 

t  MS.  letter   of  Colonel  J.    H.    Witherspoon,    of  Lauderdale   County,  Alabama,  No- 
vember, iS3o. 

§  Conversations  witii  Spelts,  in  December,  1843. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


309 


succeeding  the  battle.  While  these  surrounding  sufTerings 
touched  many  a  heart,  others  had  become  more  or  less 
hardened,  believing,  so  far  as  the  Tories  were  concerned, 
that  their  wretched  condition,  brought  upon  themselves, 
was  a  I'ust  retribution  from  high  heaven  lor  their  unnatural 
opposition  to  the  eHorts  of  their  countrymen  to  throw  oft'  the 
chains  of  political  bondage  forged  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment. The  Whigs,  weary  as  they  were,  had  to  take  turns 
in  guarding  the  prisoners,  with  litdo  or  no  refreshment ; 
and  caring,  as  best  the}'  could,  for  their  own  over  three- 
score wounded,  with  no  little  fear,  withal,  lest  Tarleton 
should  suddenly  dash  upon  them.  It  was  a  night  of  care, 
anxiety  and  suffering,  vividh'  remembered,  and  feelingly 
rehearsed,  as  long  as  any  of  the  actors  were  permitted  to 
survive. 


11 


I    ^  ■ 


f" 


ifffl 


;'  i 


310 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


CHAPTER  xrv. 


October,  1780. 


Battle  Incidents. — Lonc^  Sam  Abncy  Coerced  into  Ferguson's  Army. — 
Deatli  of  Arthur  Patterson. — Drury  A/at/iis'  Ruiit^/i  Experience. — 
A  Tory  Woman  Findini^  her  Slain  Son. — I'atality  of  the  Rijlemcn, — 
Preston  Goforth  and  three  Brothers  Killed. — A  Brother  Kills  a 
Brother. —  The  IVhit^ and  Tory  Logans. —  William  Logan  Noticed. — 
Preparing  to  Retire — Burning  Captured  lVago)is — Horse- Litters 
for  the  I  founded.  —  Gray's  Kindness  to  a  Wounded  Tory. — .1 
Termagant  Prisoner  Released. — Messengers  Sent  to  the  P'oot-Men. — 
Arms  Captured — Tories  made  to  Carry  Them. —  Trophies  of  Vic- 
tory.— A  Whig  Woman  Refusing  to  Share  in  the  Plunder. — Rumor 
of  Tarleton  s  Approach. — Burial  of  the  Whig  and  Tory  Head. — 
Treatment  of  Ferguson  Considered. — Re- Interment  of  Remains. — 
Alarc/i  of  the  Army. — Death  of  Colonel  Willams. —  Camp  at  Broad 
River. —  Willams'  Burial — Discovery  of  his  Long-Iuirgotten  Grave. 
— Six  Tory  Brothers  Escape. — Notice  of  Colonel  ll'alker. — Bran- 
don's Barbarity. —  Campbell  Protecting  the  Prisoners. —  Gray's  Retort 
to  a  Tory  Vixoi. — Gray's  Services. — Suffering  for  Food. — Feeding 
Prisoners  on  Corn  and  Pumpkins. — Billeting  the  Wounded. — March 
to  Bickerstaff's  Old  Fields. 

In  a  contest  like  that  on  King's  Mountain,  lasting  over 
an  hour,  with  eighteen  hundred  men  engaged  in  mortal 
combat,  and  with  repeated  charges  and  repulses,  many  a 
battle-incident  occurred  of  an  interesting  or  exciting  char- 
acter. A  number  of  them  have  already  been  related  while 
detailing  tlie  services  of  the  several  corps  engaged  in  the 
action  ;  but  others,  of  a  more  general  nature,  or  where  Loy- 
alists were  referred  to,  may  very  appropriately  be  grouped 
in  this  connection. 

Samuel  Abney — better  known  as  Long  Sam  Abney,  to 
distinguish  him  from  others  of  the  name — a  resident  ot 
Edgefield    County,  South  Carolina,  was  a  Whig  both   in 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


311 


principle  and  practice.  Upon  the  fall  of  Charleston,  and 
the  occupation  of  Ninety-Six  and  Augusta  by  a  slnin<^ 
British  force,  the  great  body  of  tlie  people  were  lorceil  to 
submit — to  take  protection,  whicli  they  luulerstood  to  mean 
neutralit\-  ;  but  wiiich  the  British  leaders  construed  verv 
differently.  They  were  treated  as  conquered  Rebels,  and, 
in  many  instances,  were  compelled  to  take  up  arms  in 
defence  of  a  Government  which  thev  loathed,  ami  to  li^lit 
a<rainst  their  country's  freedom  to  which  their  hearts  were 
devoted.  Sucli  was  Abney's  situation.  He  was  forced 
into  Ferguson's  Loyalist  corps,  and  was  marched  to  King's 
Mountain. 

At  the  commencement  t)f  the  battle,  he  stationed  him- 
self behind  a  rock,  where  he  would  be  secure  from  the  balls 
of  either  side,  determined  not  to  fight  against  his  country- 
men. He  could  not,  and  would  not,  take  part  in  sh(n)ting 
his  own  friends,  was  his  secret  thought  and  resolution.  But 
amid  the  shower  of  bullets  fl3ing  in  every  direction,  he  was 
not  so  safe  as  he  had  flattered  himself;  for  while  leaning  on 
his  rifle,  and  probably  indulging  in  the  curiosity  of  taking  a 
view  of  the  combatants,  he  unintentionally  exposed  his 
person  more  than  he  had  designed,  when  a  ball  penetrated 
the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm.  This  made  him  "  a  little  mad," 
as  he  expressed  it ;  still  he  had,  as  yet,  no  thought  of  taking 
part  in  the  contest.  Presendy,  however,  he  was  struck 
with  anotiier  ball;  which  made  him  "mighty  mad,"  and 
he  then  turned  in  and  fought  with  the  bravest  and  boldest 
of  Ferguson's  troops.  Before  the  action  was  over,  he  was 
riddled  with  bullets,  as  he  related  the  story  of  the  fight — 
seven  balls  taking  eflect  on  his  person.  He  was  left  in  a 
helpless,  unconscions  condition,  among  the  slain  and 
wounded  on  the  batUe-field  ;  but  fortunately  the  frost  of  the 
ensuing  night  revived  him.  He  crawled  to  a  neighboring 
branch,  and  slacked  his  bin-ning  thirst.  He  was  sub- 
sequently found  by  one  of  the  people  of  tliat  region,  who 
compassionately  conveyed  him  to  his  home,  and  bound  up 


1  -t.^mr-  ■■ 


312 


KING 'S  MOUXTAIX 


111 


his  wounds ;  :iiul,  atu-r  iiKiny  tlays,  he  recovered,  ;iiul 
returned  to  his  friends,  lie  \v  ')  a  good  okl  age,  anil 
used  merrily  to  relate  how  he  shot,  and    how  he  was 

provoked  to  shoot  hack  again,  at  King's  Mountain.  * 

In  the  ni'ighborhootl  of  King's  Mountain,  on  King's 
creek,  resided  old  Arthur  Patterson,  an  Irishman,  who 
was  devoted  to  the  Whig  cause,  as  well  as  his  several  sons 
who  were  settled  around  him.  On  the  morning  preceding 
the  battle,  a  party  of  Ferguson's  foragers  ranging  along 
that  stream,  came  across  three  of  the  young  Pattersons, 
Arthur,  Jr.,  Thomas  and  William,  together  with  James 
Lindsa\-  ;  arrested  and  marched  them  to  camp,  where  they 
were  placed  under  guard,  awaiting  trial.  The  same  da}, 
learning  of  the  apprehension  of  his  sijus,  the  aged  lather 
of  the  Pattersons  started  for  the  Mip,  to  see  il"  he  could  do 
anything   towards  effecting  th  lease.     Mi-anwhile  the 

Whigs  vsuddenly  made  their  a^^  .arance,  encircled  the 
mountain,  and  commenced  their  attack.  During  the  prog- 
ress of  the  action,  while  the  Americans  were  pressing  the 
enomy,  the  guards  were  ordered  to  take  their  places  in 
the  line  of  defence,  and  aid,  if  possible,  in  checking  the 
advance  of  the  mountaineers.  Left  to  themselves,  amid  the 
confusion  of  the  battle,  the  prisoners  resolved  to  make  a 
push  for  freedom.  Lindsay,  together  with  William  and 
Arthiu"  Patterson,  Jr.,  ran  through  an  opening  in  the  British 
lines,  and  escaped  unharmed — Arthur  with  a  portion  of  the 
rope,  with  which  he  had  been  fastened,  still  dangling  from 
his  neck.  Thomas  Patterson,  possessing  perhaps  more  of  a 
belligerent  nature,  watched  his  opportunity,  between  fires, 
and  made  ;i  bold  dash  for  the  Whig  lines,  reaching  vShelby's 
corps,  where  he  picked  iip  the  ritle  of  a  wounded  soldier, 
and  fought  braveh^  until  victory  was  proclaimed.  His  aged 
father  was  less  fortunate.  His  old  Irish  blood,  as  he  came 
in  view  of  the  noble  army  of  patriots,  was  stirred   witliin 


*  Random  HeccUeciions  of  the  /devolution,   by   Hon.    J    B.    O'Neall,    in   the   Southern 
Literary  Journal.  August,  1838,  pp.  106-7, 


AND  JTS  JIEROrS. 


813 


him  ;  and  hoping  that  lu'  might  aiil  in  Hheratmg  both  his 
sons  and  his  country,  ho  warmly  joined  in  the  Lay,  and 
was  killi'd.  * 

Drury  Mathis,  who  rcsidi'd  at  Saluda  Old  town,  on  the 
Saluda,  in  South  Carolina,  some  two  and  a  halt"  mih-s  above 
Iho  mouth  ot"  I.iltk;  river,  hail  uniteil  his  lorlunes  w  ith  Fer- 
guson. In  the  third  charge  w  hich  was  made  against  Camp- 
bell s  men,  INIathis  was  badly  wounded,  and  fell  to  the 
ground.  ''I"'he  spot  when-  he  had  fallen  was  halfway  down 
the  mountain,  wlu're  the  balls  iVom  the  Virginians  fell 
around  him  almost  as  thick  as  hail.  He  used  to  relate,  Uuit 
as  the  mountaineers  passed  o\er  him,  he  would  play 
possum  ;  hut  he  could  plainly  observe  their  faces  and  eyes; 
and  to  him  those  bold,  brave  riflemen  appeared  like  so 
main'  devils  from  the  infernal  regions,  so  full  of  excitement 
were  they  as  they  dartetl  like  enraged  lions  up  the  mount- 
ain, lie  said  they  were  the  most  powerful  looking  men  he 
ever  beheld  ;  not  over-burdened  w  ith  lat,  but  tall,  raw-boned, 
and  sinewy,  with  long  matted  hair — such  men,  as  a  body, 
as  were  never  before  seen  in  the  Carolinas.  With  his  feet 
down  the  declivity,  he  said  he  could  not  but  observe  that 
his  Loyalist  friends  were  ver}'  generally  over-shooting  the 
Americans  ;  and  that  if  ever  a  poor  fellow  hugged  mother 
earth  closely,  he  did  on  that  tr3ing  occasion.  After  the  battle 
— the  next  day,  probably — he  was  kindly  taken  to  a  house  in 
that  region,  and  nursed  till  his  wound  had  healed,  when  he 
returned  to  Ninety-Six,  an  humbled,  if  not  a  wiser  man. 
He  liveil  to  enjo\-  a  green  old  age  ;  but  used  stoutly  to  swear 
that  he  never  desired  to  see  King's  Mountain  again.  \ 

Thomas  Mullineaux,  a  youth,  lived  with  his  mother, 
some  two  miles  from  the  mountain.  He  used  to  relate,  in 
his  old  age,  that  when  the  firing  began,  his  mother  and  the 
family  were  sitting  down  to  a  late  dinner.  Presently  a 
neighboring  woman  came  running  in,  wringing  her  hands, 

*MS.  letters  of  Colonel  J.  R.  Logan,  Dr.  W.  J.  T.  Miller,  Ahrah.im  Hardin;  Hunter's 
Sketches.  311 ;  Moore's  Lacey,  18;   The  Carolinian,  Hickory,  North  Carolina,  Oct.  ist,  1880, 
■j- MS.  papers  of  Dr,  John   H.   Logan. 


lit 


Ill 


314 


KIXG  'S  MOUXTAIN 


iuul  uttoring  her  doop  himentalions  over  iho  dangers  sur- 
rounding her  son,  who  had  enUsted  under  tlie  banners  of 
Ferguson.  Alter  the  thing  had,  at  length,  ceased,  and 
all  was  still  again,  as  if  nothing  had  occurred  to  disturb  the 
peace  that  had  brooded  over  the  mountain  from  time 
immemorial,  the  poor  woman  hastened,  with  a  heaw  heart. 
accompanied  by  young  Mullineaux,  to  the  scent'  of  action. 
Turning  up  the  faces  of  the  dead  and  wounded  Tories, 
scattered  along  the  sides,  and  upon  the  crest  (->{  tlie  moim- 
tain,  she  at  length  discovered  the  gory  body  of  lu'r  son 
pierced  by  a  rille  ball.     It  was  a  heart-rending  scene.* 

The  fatality  of  the  sharp-shooters  at  King's  Mountain 
almost  surpasses  belief.  Riilemen  took  oil'  rillemen  with 
such  exactness,  that  tliey  killed  each  other  when  taking 
sight,  so  instantaneously  that  their  eyes  remained,  after 
they  were  dead,  one  slinl  and  the  other  open — in  tlie  usual 
manner  of  marksmen  when  leveling  at  their  object. f  Wil- 
k'nson,  in  his  Jfen/o//s,  refers  to  "  the  Southern  States,  rent 
by  civil  feuds,  bleeding  by  the  hands  of  brothers  ; "  and  cites 
an  incident  in  point  at  King's  Mountain,  related  to  him  by 
Colonel  Shelby,  '■' that  t:ro  hrothers,  expert  riflemen,  -were 
seen  to  present  at  each  other,  to  fire  ami  J'ali  at  the  same 
instant — their  names  were  given  to  me,  but  they  have 
escaped  mv  memory."  \ 

It  is  not  improbable  that  these  two  brothers  who  con- 
fronted and  killed  each  other,  as  related  by  Colonel  Slu-lby, 
were  of  the  Goforth  family,  of  Rutherford  County,  North 
Carolina.  At  least,  four  brothers — Preston  Goforth  on  the 
Whig  side,  and  John  Goforth  and  two  others  in  the  Tory 
ranks — all  participated  in  the  battle,  and  all  were  killed. 
It  was  ;:  remarkable  fatality.  § 

Another  instance  of  brother  killing  a  brother,  during  the 
engagement,  is  thus   related  :     A  Whig  soldier  noticed   a 

*Dr.  J.  H.  Logan's  manuRcripts. 

f  I,amt)'s/<iKr«rt/.  308. 

J  Wilkiiisdti's  Memoirs,  i,  11^. 

g  MS.  Correspoiulcnce  oT  \V.  L.  Twitty. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


315 


good  (leal  of  exocution  in  a  particular  part  of  his  line  from  a 


certain  direction  on  the  other  side 


O 


n  close  observation, 


he  discovered  that  the  fatal  firiui;'  on  the  part  of  Ferguson's 
men,  proceeded  from  behiml  a  hollow  chestnut  tree,  and 
t/irou<>ha/io/cinif.  He  concluded  to  make  an  etl'ort  to 
silence  that  battery,  and  aimed  liis  rifle  shots  repeatedly  at 
the  aperture.  At  length  the  liring  from  that  quarter  ceased. 
After  the  batUe,  his  curiosity  prompteil  him  io  examine  the 
place,  and  discovereil  that  he  had  killed  one  of  his  own 
brothers,  and  wounded  another,  who  had  joined  the  Loyalist 
forces,  and  concealed  themselves  in  tlu>  rear  of  this  tree. 
So  much  dill  the  patriot  brother  taki'  the  circumstance  to 
heart,  that  he  became  almost  deranged  in  consequence.* 

There  were  four  brothers,  all  of  Lincoln  County,  North 
Carolina,  who  shared  in  the  battle — William  and  Joseph 
Logan,  on  the  Whig  side,  and  John  and  Tliomas  Logan 
amon<;  Ferijfuson's  forces.  William  Logan  belongeil  to 
Mattocks  company,  and  was  close  by  his  Captain  wlu-n  he 
fell — the  fatal  ball  having  passed  a  hollow  dead  clu'stnut 
tree.  Joseph  Logan,  the  other  Whig  brother,  was  a  IJaptist 
preacher;  and,  during  the  iMigagement,  he,  with  a  Presby- 
terian minister,  wrestled  with  tlu'  Lord  in  prayer,  as  in 
olden  times,  to  stay  up  the  hands  of  their  friends.  Thomas 
Logan,  one  of  the  Tor}-  brothers,  hail  his  thigh  badly 
broken,  and  was  lel't  on  the  Held  of  battle;  while  liis 
brother,  J(>hn  Logan,  was  taken  among  the  prisoners,  and 
afterwards  died  a  pauper. f  These  political  divisions  in 
families,  which  were  not  unfrequent,  were  exceedingl}'' 
unpleasant,  engendering  much  bitterness  and  animosity. 


•fV 


it 


ii\ 


*Rcv,  F,.  R.  Uoikwoll,  iif  Cool  Spriii;;.  Nortli  CiiroliiKi,  in  Ilistotical  M,\i'-,iziiir, 
ScptcMiilier,  18(17,  !'•  'S'- 

T  MS.  CorrcspomliMico  of  Colonel  J.  R  I.ogan.  His  Kraiulfathcr,  William  l.iM;;m,  wlio 
shared  in  tlie  glories  of  King's  Mountain,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  i;.).),  ilesrcml- 
ing  from  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  Itefore  the  war,  he  niarrieil  Jane  lilack,  .tml  settlei!  in 
Lincoln  Innnty,  North  Carolina  He  did  giod  service  at  Kinj^'s  Monnt.iin,  and  rendered 
himself  useful  during  the  lontinuance  of  the  contest,  for  whic  h  in  his  ailvanccd  yc;irs  he 
drew  a  iiciision.  After  the  war  h.'  settled  on  main  Ilnffalo  creek,  on  the  lionler  of  Vork 
County,  South  Carolina,  where  he  died  in  i8v'.  at  the  ai;e  of  tii;lity-lhree  years,  having 
dropped  deail  in  the  (icld  while  foedini;  his  cattle.  lie  left  five  sons  .uul  two  daughters,  and 
was  long  a  worthy  nicmhcr  of  the  H.ip'i  u  church. 


iin 


31G 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


In  the  morning,  after  the  battle,  a  man  \vas  discovered 
on  the  top  of  the  mountain — one  of  the  Tories,  it  is  beUeved 
— with  a  bullet  hole  through  his  head,  a  rifle  ball  having 
entered  his  forehead,  and  passed  out  at  the  back  part  of  his 
cranium  ;  and  strange  to  say,  he  was  still  alive,  and  sitting 
in  an  upright  posture  on  the  ground.  Some  of  his  brains 
had  oozed  out  on  either  side  of  his  head ;  and  though 
unconscious,  he  was  yet  breathing.  It  was  proposed  by 
those  who  saw  him,  that  they  would  gently  lay  him  down ; 
and,  on  doing  so,  he  instantl}'  expired.* 

On  Sabbath  morning,  October  the  eighth,  the  sun  shone 
brightly,  the  first  time  in  several  days,  and  the  patriots 
were  early  astir — prompted  thereto  by  two  very  pressing 
motives.  One  was,  that  they  might  get  on  their  return 
route  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  secure  a  mich  needed  sup- 
plv  of  provisions  ;  the  other  to  hasten  beyond  the  reach  ot 
the  dreaded  Colonel  Tarleton,  an  encounter  with  whom 
was  ver\'  undesirable,  encumbered  as  they  were  \\ith  so 
many  prisoners,  and  the  necessary  care  and  convcNance  of 
their  own  wounded.  Seventeen  baggage  wagons  were, 
according  to  Colonel  Shelby's  letter  to  his  father,  among 
the  trophies  of  victory  ;  and  these,  says  Ramsey's  Tennes- 
see, were  drawn  by  the  men  across  their  camp-fires  and 
consumed.  To  have  attempted  to  carry  them  along,  would 
have  retarded  their  march  over  a  rough  countr}- ;  and  the 
wounded  could  be  best  borne  on  the  journey  on  horse-litters, 
by  fastening  two  long  poles  on  either  side  of  two  horses  at 
tandem,  leaving  a  space  of  six  or  eight  feet  between  them, 
stretching  tent-cloth  or  blankets  between  the  poles,  on  which 
to  place  a  disabled  ofllcer  or  soldier. 

In  rambling  that  morning  among  the  Tory  wounded, 
who  lay  scattered  about — all  who  could  had  crept  to  the 
branch  to  quench  their  raging  thirst — James  Gray,  of  the 
Rutherford  troops,  tiiscovered  an  old  acquaintance  wounded 

■^J.  L.  Gray's  MS.  narrative,  derived  from  James  Gray,  one  of  the   King's  Mountain 
men. 


-II      ill 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


317 


in  the  ankle,  and  unable  to  walk,  Gra}'  was  fully  aware, 
that  the  inifortunate  man  was  not  one  of  those  disrepu- 
table Tories  who  had  joined  the  King's  standard,  like 
Plundering  Sam  Brown,  simply  for  the  sake  of  being 
protected  in  rapine  and  plunder.  Tie  had  joined  Fergu- 
son from  conscientious  motives,  believing  it  his  duty 
to  fight  for  the  Royal  Government.  Gray  feeling  kindly 
towards  his  old  friend,  took  out  his  pocket-hantlkerchief, 
bound  up  his  broken  limb,  and  did  whatever  else  he  could 
to  ameliorate  his  unhappv  condition.  Nor  was  this  kind- 
ness tl'.rown  away.  Recovering  from  his  wound,  the 
Loyalist  became  a  useful  citizen  to  his  country  ;  and,  as 
long  as  he  lived,  he  manifested  the  strongest  friendship  for 
Gray,  who  had  shown  him  compassion  in   the  day  of  his 

distress.  * 

Among  the  prisoners.  Colonel  Shelb}^  discovered  some 

officers  who  had  fought  under  his  banner,  a  few  weeks  pre- 
viously, at  Musgrove's  Mill.  They  declared  that  they  had 
been  forced  to  join  Ferguson,  or  fare  worse  ;  and  when 
their  cases  had  been  inquired  into,  and  their  representations 
found  to  be  correct,  their  misfortunes  were  commisserated, 
and  they  were  henceforth  regarded  as  friends,  f  Here  a 
woman  was  liberated  from  captivity,  who  had  been  taken  pris- 
oner in  Burke  County  during  Colonel  Ferguson's  inva- 
sion of  that  region  in  the  mondi  preceding.  She  was  a  regu- 
lar termagant — especially  excited  bv  the  presence  of  Tories, 
and  in  tliis  instance,  her  ire  had  probably  been  provoked 
by  the  reckless  plunder  of  her  property,  and  she  had  appar- 
ently been  ajiprehended  because  she  gave  them  a  piece  of 
her  tongue,  in  a  manner  quite  too  loose  and  reckless  to  suit 
the  fastidious  notions  of  his  Majesty's  representatives  in  the 
backwoods  of  America.  \  Once  again  free  in  body,  as  her 
unruly  member  alwavs  had  been,  she  reneweill}'  indulged 
her  propensity,  we  may  well  judge,  of  saying  ugly  things 
of  Ferjxuson  and  his  men  to  her  heart's  content. 


f 


-r 


•^. 


*J.  L.  Gray's  MS.  stMement,  and    Rutht-rford  Enquirer,  May  24,  1859. 

•f  Shelby,  in /lOTcr»Vrt«   f!e7<ie:i\   Iliciniljer,   1848. 

}  MS.  statement  of   W.  L.  Twitty,  derived  from  Colonel  W.  H.  Miller. 


it;ii 


II 


!['l  ' 

'm ' 


11  'i 


318 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Earlj'  that  morning,  Colonel  Campbell  ordered  two  of 
his  men,  William  Snodgrass  and  Edward  Smith,  to  return 
on  the  route  on  which  the  army  had  advanced,  so  as  to 
meet  the  party  of  footmen,  and  prevent  their  further 
approach  in  the  direction  of  King's  Mountain.  Declining 
a  guard,  because,  as  the  messengers  said,  the  patriots  already 
had  the  whole  population  of  that  region,  either  as  soldiers 
or  prisoners,  they  went  on,  without  any  mishap  or  adventure, 
to  Broad  ri\'er — apparently  at  the  Cherokee  Ford — where 
they  met  their  countrymen.  They  imparted  to  them  the 
iovful  tidings  of  victory,  and  turned  their  course,  in 
obedience  to  orders,  up  the  stream.  * 

According  to  the  official  report  of  Colonel  Camjibell 
and  associates,  fifteen  hundred  stand  of  arms  were  cap- 
tured ;  but  in  Colonel  Shelby's  letter  to  his  fadier,  written 
five  davs  after  the  battle,  twelve  hundred  is  the  number 
stated — and  a  portion  of  these  were  supernumerar}^  designed 
for  new  recruits.  "  The  prisoners,"  says  Shelby,  "  were 
made  to  carry  their  own  arms,  as  they  could  not  have  been 
carried  in  any  other  way."  The  flints  were  taken  from  the 
locks  ;  and,  to  the  more  strong  and  health}'  Tories,  two  guns 
each  were  assigned  for  conveyance.  When  ready  to  start 
on  the  day's  journey,  the  prisoners  were  marched,  in  single 
file,  by  the  spot  where  the  rifles  and  muskets  were  stacked, 
and  each  was  directed  to  shoulder  and  carry  the  arms 
allotted  to  him.  Colonel  Shelby,  with  his  sword  drawn, 
stood  by,  among  others,  to  see  that  the  order  was  strictly 
obeyed.  One  old  fellow  came  toddling  by,  and  evinced  a 
determination  not  to  encumber  himself  with  a  gun.  Shelby 
sternly  ordered  him  to  shoulder  one  without  delay.  The 
old  man  demurred,  declaring  he  was  not  able  to  carry  it. 
Shelby  told  him,  with  a  curse,  that  he  was  able  to  bring 
one  there,  and  he  should  carry  one  away  ;  and,  at  the  same 
time  gave  him  a  smart  slap  across  his  shoulders  with  the 
flat  side  of  his  sword-blade.     The  old  fellow,  discovering 

*  MS.  letter  of  \Vm.  Snodgrass  to  Ex-Governor  David  Campbell,  August  15th,  1S42. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


319 


lie 

lie 


that  he  could  not  trifle  witli  such  a  man  as  Slielby,  jumped 
at  the  gun-pile,  shouldered  one,  and  marched  away  in 
double-quick  time.  * 

There  were  not  a  few  other  articles,  military  and  per- 
sonal, that  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  These  seem 
to  have  been  retained  by  those  who  possessed  themselves  of 
them — as  the  troops,  be  it  remembered,  had  not  engaged  in 
the  service  by  any  order  of  Congress,  or  of  their  respective 
States.  It  was  entirelv  a  volunteer  movement — no  bajf^age- 
wagons,  no  commissaries,  no  pay,  and  no  supplies.  General 
Lenoir  adds,  that  by  the  victory  of  King's  Mountain,  "  many 
militia  ofllcers  procured  swords  who  could  not  possibly  get 
any  before  ;  neither  was  it  possible  to  procure  a  good  sup- 
ply of  ammunition." 

If  the  soldiers,  who  had  inarched  so  far  and  suffered  so 
much,  in  order  to  meet  and  conquer  Ferguson  and  his  arm}-, 
were  not  unwilling  to  appropriate  to  Uieir  own  use  the 
trophies  of  victory,  there  is  at  least  one  recorded  instance 
in  which  a  sturdy  Whig  woman  of  the  country  refused 
to  profit  by  the  spoils  of  war.  Two  brothers,  Moses  and 
James  Henry,  of  the  Lincoln  troops,  residing  in  what  is 
now  Gaston  County,  fought  bravely  in  the  battle ;  Moses 
Henry  sealing  his  devotion  to  his  country  with  his  life's 
blood — dN'ing,  not  long  thereafter,  in  the  hospital  at  Char- 
lotte, of  the  wound  he  received  in  the  action.  I  lis  brother, 
James  Henry,  while  passing  through  the  woods  near  the 
scene  of  the  conflict,  a  few  days  after  the  engagement, 
found  a  very  fine  horse,  handsomely  equipped  with  an 
elegant  saddle,  the  reins  of  the  bridle  being  broken.  The 
horse  and  equipments  had  belonged,  as  he  supposed,  to 
some  oflker  of  the  enemy.  He  took  the  animal  home  with 
him,  greatly  elated  with  his  good  luck  ;  but  his  patriotic 
mother  meeting  him  at  the  gate,  immediately  inquired  whose 
horse  it  was?     He  replied,  that  he  judged  that  it  had  be- 

'^■Slielby's  narrative  in   the  American  Kniii-w;    Ramsey's    Tennessee,    242;     General 
Lenoir's  statement;  T.  L.  Gray's  MSS. ;  Rutherford  Enquirer,  May  24th,  1859. 


320 


A'AVG'S  MOUNTAIN 


longed  to  some  British  oflicor.  "  Jumes,"  said  the  mother, 
sternly,  '*  turn  it  loose,  and  drive  it  olV  the  place,  tor  I  will 
not  have  the  hands  of  my  household  soiled  with  British 
phnuler."'  Colonel  Moses  Henry  Hand,  a  wortliy  citizen 
of  Gaston  Count}',  is  a  grandson  of  Moses  Henry  who  was 
mortally  wounded  at  King's  Mountain.  * 

At  length  the  patriot  army  was  ready  to  commence  its 
long  and  tedious  return  march,  encumbered  with  their 
wt)unded,  and  over  six  hundred  prisoners.  A  report  was 
prevalent  tluit  morning,  that  Tarleton's  cavalry  was  press- 
ing on,  and  would  attempt  to  rescue  the  prisoners,!  and 
indict  punishment  upon  the  audacious  mountaineers  ;  but 
while  it  was  only  camp  rumor,  brought  in  by  people  from 
the  surrounding  countr}',  whose  curiosity  had  prompted 
them  to  visit  the  battle-field,  yet  the  Whig  leaders  deemed 
it  wise  to  waste  no  time  unnecessarily.  Much  of  the  morn- 
ing had  been  consumed  in  preparing  litters  for  the  wounded. 

When  the  army  marched,  some  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, Colonel  Campbell  '"emained  behind  with  a  party  of 
men  to  burv  their  unfortunate  countrymen.!  The  British 
Lieutenant  Allaire  states,  that  before  the  troops  moved, 
orders  were  given  to  his  men  by  Colonel  Campbell,  that 
should  they  be  attacked  on  the  march,  to  fire  on  and  destroy 
the  prisoners.  We  have  no  means  of  determining  whether 
such  orders  were  given  on  the  supposition  of  Tarleton's  pos- 
sible pursuit,  and  attempt  to  rescue  the  captives  :  or  it  may 
be,  if  there  was  any  foundation  for  the  statement,  it  was 
made  in  a  modified  form. 

A  place  of  sepulture  was  selected,  upon  a  small  eleva- 
tion, some  eighty  or  a  hundred  yards  south-east  of  Fergu- 
son's head-quarters  ;  large  pits  were  dug,  and  a  number  of 
the  slain  placed  together,  with  blankets  thrown  over  them, 
and    thus    hurriedly   buried. §     Tarleton  asserts,    on  some 


*  Hunter's  Sketches,  pp.  296-97. 

+  MS.  letter  of  Wm,  Snodgr.iss  to  Governor  Campbell;  Mills'  Statistics,  J79 ',  conver- 
sations with  Sil.15  Moike  .mil  John  Spelts,  survivors  of  the  b.ittle. 
]  St.Ttement  of  Joseph  Phillips,  one  of  Clevel.'ind's  men. 
§  MS.  letters  of  Wm.  Snodgrass  and  John  Craig,  of  CarnDbell's  regiment. 


B;  i 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


321 


reports  he  liad  lioard,  tliat  the  mountaineers  used  every 
insult  and  indignity  towards  the  dead  body  of  Ferguson  ;  * 
and  Hanger,  an  officer  at  that  time  in  Tarleton's  corps, 
dechires  that  such  was  the  inveteracy  of  the  Americans 
against  the  British  leader,  that  while  they  buried  all  the 
other  bodies,  they  stripped  Ferguson's  of  its  clothes,  and 
left  it  naked  on  the  Held  of  battle,  to  be  devoured  by  the 
turkey-buzzards  of  the  countr}-.  f 

Colonel  Ferguson's  biographer  repeats  the  statement 
that  his  body  was  stripped,  and  his  surviving  comrades 
were  denied  the  privilege  of  bestowing  upon  his  remains 
the  honors  of  a  soldier's  burial ;  but  that  the  neighboring 
people  subsequently  accorded  to  him  a  decent  interment.  X 
Mills,  in  his  Slufistics  of  South  Carolhicu  remarks,  that 
the  victors,  dreading  the  arrival  of  Tarleton,  "hastened  from 
the  scene  of  action  ;  nor  durst  the}-  atten.  to  the  burial  of 
the  dead,  or  to  take  care  of  the  woundeci,  man}-  of  whom 
were  seen  ujion  the  ground,  two  days  after  the  battle, 
imploring  a  little  water  to  cool  their  burning  tongues  ;  but 
they  were  left  to  perish  there,  and  tliis  long  hill  was 
whitened  with  their  bones." 

That  Ferguson's  elegant  clothing,  under  his  duster  or 
hunting-shirt,  ma}'^  have  been  taken,  and  that  even  some 
indignities  may  have  been  shown  by  an  excited  soldiery, 
towards  the  British  leader's  lifeless  body,  is  quite  possible  ; 
if  so,  it  is  strange  that  two  ofllcers  of  his  corps,  much 
devot 'd  to  him,  Lieutenant  Allaire  and  Captain  Ryerson, 
should  make  no  mention  of  any  such  circumstance  in 
their  narratives  of  King's  Mountain  battle.  At  all  events, 
when  Colonel  Campbell  detailed  a  party  of  his  troops 
to  remain  behind  to  burv  the  American  dead,  he  directed 
a  number  of  the  British  prisoners  to  dig  pits  for  the 
interment  of  their   fallen   companions,    and   at   the   same 


*  Tarleton's  Camfiaigns.  quarto  etlition,  165. 
f  Hanger's  Life  ami  Opinions,  ii,  406. 
J  Dr.  Ferguson's  Memoir,  35. 
21 


.»4.J«y 


I'      ' 

I'      -' 


¥. 


322 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


time,  detained  Doctor  Johnson  to  attend  to  the  wounded  of 
the  enein\-  before  his  tinal  departure.*  That  the  grave-pits 
were  sliallow,  and  the  work  of  .st-puUnre  liastily  performed, 
is  very  HkeU-,  for  tlie  reception  of  both  the  American  and 
British  remains  ;  but  all  was  undoiibtedlx'  done  that  well 
could  be,  under  the  circumstances,  with  such  limited  facil- 
ties  as  they  possessed,  and  in  their  half-starved  condition, 
and,  witlial,  threatened,  as  they  supposed,  with  a  visit  from 
Tarleton's  Legion.  The  British  dead  were  interred  in  two 
pits — one  a  very  large  one,  probably  where  the  Tories  were 
laid,  side  by  side;  the  other,  a  smaller  one,  where  doubt- 
less the  men  of  Ferguson's  corps  were  buried. f 

The  wolves  of  the  surrounding  countrv  were  soon 
attracted  to  the  spot  by  the  smell  of  flesh  and  blood  ;  and 
for  several  weeks  they  revelled  upon  the  carcasses  of  the 
slain — some  of  which  had  been  overlooked  and  left  un- 
buried,  while  others  were  scratched  out  of  their  shallow 
graves  by  these  prowlers  of  the  wiltferness.  Vultures  and 
wolves  divided  the  human  plunder ;  and  so  bold  and 
audacious  did  the  latter  grow,  gorging  on  flesh,  that  they, 
in  some  instances,  showed  a  disposition  to  attack  the  living, 
when  visiting  the  scene  of  the  battle.     And  long  after  the 

war,  it  is  said,  that  King's  Mountain  was  the  favorite  resort 

+ 


of  the  wolf-hunter  ■*■ 


'■' MS.  letter  of  Wm.  Snodgrass  to  Governor  Campbell,  August  15th.  1843;  Rcnjamin 
Sharp's  statement  in  the  American  Pioneer.  These  acts  of  kindness  on  the  part  of  Colonel 
Campbell,  cfTectiially  disprove  the  supposition  of  Carrington.  in  his  Battles  of  the  Revo- 
lution, tli.ii  the  Tory  wo\indcd  were  deliberately  slaughtered  by  the  victorious  patriots, 

■j-MS.  correspondence  of  Abraham  Hardin, 

1  Doctor  Logan's  MSS,  and  his  Ifistory  0/ i//>/>,r  Sjtttk  Carolina,  63 ;  MS.  corres- 
pondence of  Colonel  J.  R.  Logan;  Mills'  Statistics,  779. 

It  may  be  added,  in  this  connection,  that  in  1S15,  through  the  instrumentality  of  Doctor 
William  McLean,  of  Linc-iln  County,  North  Carolina,  a  day  was  set  ajiart,  and  the 
scattered  luiman  bones  on  the  mountain,  dragged  away  from  their  firmer  resting  places  by 
the  voracious  wolves  were  collected  together,  and  re-interred;  and  the  old  nioriunient  or 
head-stone  of  dark  slate  rock  erected  at  the  expense  of  Doctor  McLean,  who  delivered 
a  suitable  address  on  the  occ.ision.  The  monnment  bears  this  inscription:  f)n  the  east 
side — "Sacred  to  the  memory  of  M  d  >r  Will'  im  ChronicK',  Captain  John  Mattocks,  William 
Robb,  and  John  Boyd,  who  were  killed  at  this  place  on  the  7th  of  October,  i7?i,  figbling 
in  defence  of  America,  '  On  the  west  side:  "Colonel  Ferguson,  an  ollicer  of  his 
Hritannic  .Majesty,  was  defeated  and  killed  at  this  place,  on  the  7th  of  October.  1780," — 
Mills'  Statistics,  779;  Hunter's  .y^Wt/«rj,  pp.  289,  311;  MS.  correspondence  of  Abraham 
Hardin. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


323 


When  the  army  took  up  its  line  of  march,  strongly 
guarding  tlicir  prisoners,  the  tenderest  possible  care  was 
bestowed  on  the  sull'ering  wounded,  conveyed  on  the  horse- 
litters — and  of  none  more  so  than  on  the  heroic  Colonel 
Williams.  In  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon,  when  about 
three  miles  south-west  of  the  battle  ground,  on  the  route 
towards  Deer's  Ferry  on  Broad  river,  the  little  guard  having 
him  in  charge,  discovering  that  life  was  fast  ebbing  away, 
stopped  by  the  road-side  at  Jacob  Randall's  place,  since  long 
the  homestead  of  Abraham  Ilardin,  where  he  quietly 
breathed  his  last.  His  death  was  a  matter  of  sincere  grief  to 
the  whole  army.  His  friends  resolved,  at  lirst,  to  carry  his 
remains  to  his  old  home,  near  Little  river,  in  Laurens 
County  ;  but  soon  after  changed  this  determination.  March- 
ing some  twelve  miles  from  the  battle  ground,  they  en- 
camped that  night  near  the  eastern  bank  of  Broad  river, 
and  a  little  north  of  Buffalo  creek,  on  the  road  leading  to 
North  Carolina,  and  witliin  two  or  three  miles  of  Boren's  or 
Bowen's  river  and  known  also  as  Camp's  creek.  Here 
at  the  deserted  plantation  of  a  Tory  named  Waldron  as 
Allaire  has  it — or  Fondren,  as  Silas  McBee  remembered 
the  name* — they  found  good  camping  ground,  with  plenty 
of  drj^  rails  and  poles  for  their  evening  fires,  and  happily 
a  sweet  potato  patch  sufficiently  large  to  supply  the  whole 
army. 

"This,"  says  Benjamin  Sharp,  "was  most  fortunate, 
for  not  one  in  fifty  of  us  had  tasted  food  for  the  last  two 
days  and  nights — since  we  left  the  Cowpens."  During  the 
evening  Colonel  Campbell  and  party  rejoined  the  patriots  ; 
and  the  footmen  arrived  whom  they  had  left  at  the  ford  of 
Green  river,  and  who  had  made  commendable  progress  in 
following  so  closel}^  upon  the  mounted  advance ;  and  who 


*Col.  J.  R.  Logan  fully  corroborates  McDie's  statement— that  in-.tead  of  Waldron,  as 
Allaire  has  it,  the  name  of  the  owner  of  the  plantation  where  Williams  was  buried,  was 
Matthew  Fondren,  connected  \>-ith  the  (^iiinns  of  that  region — so  states  Mrs.  Margaret 
Roberts,  vee  Qninn.  now  nearly  ninety  years  of  age,  and  reared  in  that  locality.  I'ondren 
was  subsequently  thrown  from  a  chair  or  gig.  and  killed. 


ii* 


ill* 


(  ..  t« 


-■^'1  --*'■■ 


324 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAJN 


ill 


had,  moreover,  the  good  fortune  to  secure  a  teinporar}' 
supply  of  food — live  beef  cattle,  probably ;  so  that  the 
hungry  mountaineers,  almost  famished,  now  enjoyed  a 
happy  repast.* 

The  next  morning,  for  want  of  suitable  conveyance,  the 
friends  of  Colonel  Williams  concluded  to  bury  his  remains 
were  they  were.  They  were  accordingly  interred  with  the 
honors  of  war,  between  the  camp  of  the  patriots  and  the 
river,  a  little  above  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  creek — on  what 
was  long  known  as  the  Fondrcn,  then  the  old  Carnith 
place,  now  belonging  to  Captain  J.  B.  Mintz.f  Having 
performed  this  touching  service,  and  fired  a  parting  volley 
over  the  newly  made  grave  of  one  of  the  noted  heroes  of 
the  war  of  independence,  the  army,  late  in  the  day, 
renewed  its  line  of  march  apparent!}'  up  Broad  river ;  and 
alter  passing  what  Allaire  calls  Bullock's  creek,  but  what 
is  evidently  Borcn's  river  they  took  up  quarters  for  the 
pight  on  its  northern  bank,  having  accomplished  only  two 
and  a  half  miles.  Beside  the  burial  of  Colonel  Williams, 
the  precarious  condition  of  the  wounded,  probably,  re- 
tarded the  progress  of  this  day's  march,  and  time  was 
needed  for  recuperation. 

Tuesda}'-,  the  tenth,  was  a  busy  day.  The  course  pur- 
sued would  seem  to  have  been  still  up  main  Brord  river, 
crossing  First  Broad  and  Sandy  run,  in  a  north-westerly 
direction,  towards  Gilbert  Town,  and  camping  in  the  woods 
that  night,  probably  not  very  far  from  Second  Broad 
river,  after  having  accomplished  a  march  of  twenty 
miles.     An   incident  occurred  on  this  part   of  the   route, 

'■' Snodt;rnss  MS.  letter  to  Oovprnor  Campbell;  Sharp's  n.irrative  ;  General  Lenoir's 
statement;  Allaire's  MS.  Dinry :  and  conversations  with  Sil.is  McHee. 

V  MS.  correspondence  of  Colonel  J.  R.  Logan  and  Abraham  Hardin.  Colonel  Logan 
adds,  that  he  learned  from  Captain  Mintz  that  a  tradition  had  been  handed  down  tb:U 
Coliinel  Williams  was  buried  in  that  neighborhood,  and  no  little  pains  had  been  taken  to 
identify  the  grave  by  various  people,  and  even  by  some  of  Colonel  Williams'  descendants, 
but  without  success.  At  length  Captain  Mintz  employed  some  men  to  shrub  offa  field 
long  OTergrown,  and  requested  them  to  watch  for  the  long-forgotten  grave  ;  and  sure  enough, 
they  found  a  grave  with  a  bead  and  foot  stone  composed  of  a  different  kind  of  rock  from 
those  abounding  there,  and  well  overgrown  with  grape  vines.  Though  there  was  no  in- 
scription on  the  head-stone,  there  is  no  doubt  it  is  the  grave  of  "Old  King's  Mountain  Jim." 


AND  ITS  HEROES, 


ly 
Is 

[e, 

lir's 


worth}'  of  notice.  Among  the  prisoners  were  six  brotliers 
named  Gage,  who  had  joini>d  Ferguson  in  coiisecjuence  of 
the  Tory  influences  surroutuhng  them.  During  the  second 
day's  march,  one  of  the  Gages  was  taken  ill,  when  the 
ofllcer  of  the  day,  who  probably  could  not  proN'ide  any 
means  for  his  conveyance,  and  possibly  surmising  Uiat  he 
was  feigning  sickness,  in  order  to  seek  an  ojiportuniiy  to 
escape,  or  delay  the  Whigs  so  that  Tarleton  migiu  overtake 
them,  urged  the  sick  prisoner  to  keep  pace  with  the  others. 
His  brothers,  to  save  him  from  possible  calamity,  took  turns 
in  carrying  him  on  their  backs  ;  and  they  adopted  the  plan 
of  availing  themselves  of  their  peculiar  situation  to  lag  as 
much  behind  as  possible,  with  a  view  of  taking  advantage 
of  the  ih'st  considerable  stream  they  should  have  occasion  ♦o 
pass,  in  the  night,  to  fall  down  in  the  water,  and  suflei  tne 
rear  guard  to  ride  over  them.  Their  scheme  succeeded, 
and  they  thus  escaped  in  the  darkness  unobserved.*  T'he 
Whigs  kept  up  their  march  of  evenings,  so  long  as  Uiey 
thought  it  necessary  to  place  themselves  beyond  the  reach 
of  liritish  pursuit. 

During  Wednesday,  the  eleventh,  the  army  marched 
twelve  miles,  and  encamped  at  Colonel  John  Walker's, 
according  to  Allaire's  IJ/'arv.  Colonel  Walker,  one  of  the 
prominent  Whig  leaders  of  the  country,  resided  some  five 
rriiles  north-east  of  Gilbert  Town,  on  the  east  side  of  Cane 
creek,  half  a  mile  above  its  mouth,  and  a  mile  below  the 
present   Brittain   church. f      There    seems    to    have    been 

'■"Conversations  witli  Henjriinin  Starritt,  in  iS.(3, 

tColuncl  Walker  was  luirti  on  Ilolieniia  (reek.  N'ew  Castle  County,  Delaware,  in  1728. 
When  j;rown.  he  settled  on  tlic  South  llranch  of  Potomac.  Hampshire  County.  Virginia, 
where  he  marricil  Klizabelh  Watson.  He  served  as  a  volunteer  under  Colonel  Washington, 
and  shared  in  ISraddock's  disastrous  defeat  in  1755.  He  shortly  after  removed  to  North 
Carolina,  settling  first  on  Leepcr's  Creek,  in  now  Lincoln  County,  and  served  on  Colonel 
Grant's  campaign  against  the  Cherokees  in  1761.  He  subsequently  located  on  Crowder's 
Creek  ;  and,  in  176S,  at  the  month  of  Cane  Creek,  where  he  purchased  a  fine  tract  of  four 
hundred  acres  for  a  doubloon.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  character  and  prominence,  hold- 
ing several  commissions  under  the  Colonial  Government — Colonel  Con\mandant  of  Tryon 
County,  and  Judge  of  the  Court  for  many  years.  On  the  breakin;:  out  of  the  Revolution, 
sharing  in  the  sympathies  of  the  penjile,  he  resijjned  his  Loyal  olh^es,  and  was  among  the 
foremost  in  signing  the  Articles  of  Association,  pledging  resistance  to  British  encroaclinients. 


I 


rill  • 


1:       ! 

Hi  i     1 


ii 


[i    ■'■   !i 


,5:;    i 
■M    t 


li 


Jl 


■1 


32(> 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


individual  cases  of  sava<fo  severity,  even  to  murder,  exer- 
cised towards  the  prisoners.  Colonel  Brandon,  a  rough, 
impulsive  Irisliman,  discovering  that  one  of  the  Tories,  who 
had  been  carrying  a  couple  of  the  captured  guns,  had 
dodged  into  a  hollow  sycamore  In-  the  road-side,  dragged 
him  from  his  hiding  place,  and  completely  hacked  him  to 
pieces  with  his  sword.*  Hints  and  innuendoes  have  been 
occasionally  thrown  out  against  Colonel  Campbell  himself 
as  guilty  of  heartless  cruelty  to  tlu!  Tory  prisoners  ;  f  but 
the  following  extract  from  his  (rciicral  Order,  at  the  camp 
below  Gilbert  Town,  October  eleventh,  i7iSo,  probably  in 
the  early  part  of  the  day,  should  be  a  complete  vindication 
of  his  memory  and  good  name  from  such  a  charge:  "I 
must,"  he  said,  "request  tlie  ollicers  of  all  ranks  in  the 
army  to  endea\or  to  restrain  the  disorderly  manner  of 
slaughtering  and  disturbing  the  prisoners.  If  it  cannot  be 
prevented  by  moderate  measures,  such  ellectual  punishment 
shall  be  executed  upon  delinquents  as  will  put  a  stop  to  it."  \ 
It  would  appear  that  the  army,  on  its  march  this  day, 
passed  through  Gilbert  Town  ;  and  resting  there  awhile, 
the  prisoners  were  placed  in  a  pen,  in  which  Ferguson, 
when  stationed  there,  had  confmed  captured  Whigs.  When 
the  British  held  full  swa}'  in  that  quarter,  a  Tory  woman 
there  was  asked  what  tlie  leaders  were  going  to  do  w  ith 
their  Rebel  prisoners  in  the  bull-pen?  "We  are  going," 
she  tartly  replied,  "to  hang  all  the  d — dold  Rebels,  and  take 
their  wives,  scrape  their  tongues,  rmd  let  them  go."     This 

in  August,  1775;  and.  the  same  month,  served  as  a  member  of  the  Convention  at  Hillsl)oro. 
His  sons  took  an  active  part  in  the  war,  one  of  whom,  Feli.\  Walker,  represented  Ruther- 
ford County  seven  years  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  six  in  Congress.  Colonel  Walker, 
in  1787,  removed  to  the  mouth  of  Green  river,  in  Rutherford  County,  where  he  died 
January  isth.  1796,  in  his  sixty-eighth  year.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  fathers  of  Western 
C;irolina.  For  most  of  the  facts  in  this  note,  we  al:know!l.•d^;e  our  imlubtcdness  to  tin' 
Mijiwirs  0/ Hon.  Felix  M'alker.  edited  by  his  Rrandson,  Samuel  R    Walker. 

*  Conversations  with  the  late  Dr.  A.  Q.  liradley,  who  had  this  incident  from  one  of 
Brandon's  men. 

T Statements  of  Henry  Ulcvins.  John  I-ang  and  Jacob  Isely.  appended  to  Shelby's 
King's  Mount.iin  pamphlet.  1823;  and  W  \.  Henderson's  published  Lecture  on  Governor 
John  Sevier    at  Kno.wille,  Tennessee,  in  January.  1873. 

J  Copied  from  the  original,  furnished  by  General  John  S.  freston  ;  Bancroft,  x,  340. 


AND  JTS  HEROES. 


327 


same  Loyiilist  huly,  nowwluMi  llu-  ch;ini^os  dflortune  had  so 
siulilciily  reversed  matters,  a^aiii  visited  tlie  prison-pen, 
where  her  husband,  wiio  had  joined  Fer^aison's  forces,  was 
ainon<f  those  in  conlinenient ;  .ind,  with  eyes  lilk-d  with 
tears,  touchiuLjly  inquired  of'  James  Gray,  one  of  the 
guard,  ''What  are  you  Whigs  going  to  do  with  tliese 
poor  telh)ws?  "  Retorting  in  her  own  shmg  hmguage,  to 
annoy  and  liumble  lier,  he  repHed  :  "  We  are  going  to  liang 
all  the  d — d  old  Tories,  and  take  their  wives,  scrape  their 
tongues,  and  let  them  go."  This  severe  response  com- 
pletely confounded  the  termagant,  against  whose  friends 
and  cause  the  battle  liad  gone,  and  she  silently  retired.* 

Remaining  in  camp  at  Walker's  during  Thursday,  the 
twelfth,  the  baggage  of  the  British  leaders  was  divided 
among  the  Whig  officers,  save  a  small  portion  granted  to 
Captain  DePeyster  and  his  associates  for  a  change.  Colonel 
Shelby,  referring  to  the  tardy  movements  of  the  troops, 
observes  :  "  Owing  to  the  number  of  wounded,  and  the  des- 
titution of  the  army  of  all  conveyances,  they  traveled 
slowly,  and  in  one  week  had  only  marched  about  forty 
miles."  t  Another  trying  circumstance  was,  that  in  conse- 
quence of  the  contending  armies  having  eidier  occupied,  or 
repeatedl}'  tniv^ersed,  this  sparsely  settled  region,  during  the 
preceding  two  or  three  months,  the  people  were  completely 


*^fS.  statement  of  J.  L.  Gray,  derived  from  his  grandfather,  James  (>ray;  Rutherford 
Enquirer,.  May  24th,  1859. 

James  Gray,  whu  (^ciierously  bound  up.  witli  his  handkerchief,  the  broken  ankle  of  a 
Tory  acquaintance  at  King's  Mountain,  and  treated  the  Tory  woman  with  a  touch  of  his 
bitinjj  sarcasm,  was  a  worthy  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  was  born  in  Augusta  County, 
Virginia,  in  1755,  and  settled  in  Tryon,  since  Rutherford  County,  North  Carolina,  prior  to 
the  Revolution.  He  served  throughout  the  war,  a  part  of  the  time  in  Captain  Miller's  com- 
pany. He  took  part  in  Rutherford's  campaign  against  the  Cherokees  in  1776;  in  the  fight 
at  Karle's  on  North  Pacolet ;  in  chasing  Dunlap  to  I'rince's  Fort;  and  was  in  Captain 
Edward  Hampton's  company  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Anderson,  on  Thicketty  creek.  It 
was,  as  he  used  to  relate,  a  matter  of  great  satisfaction  to  him.  that  he  aided  in  capturing 
at  King's  NFountain  some  of  his  Tory  acquaintances  who  had  formerly  pursued  him  when 
unable  to  defend  himself.  He  served  in  Captain  Inman'^  company  at  the  siege  of  Ninety 
Six.  in  1781  ;  and  not  long  after  was  appointed  a  Captain,  and  guarded  the  stations  at 
Earle's,  Russell's,  Waddlctons  and  White  Oak.  Captain  Gray  lived  to  enjoy  a  pension, 
and  died  in  Riit'i.^'rford  County.  October  stst,  iOj6.  at  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

\  American  Review,  December.   1848. 


II 


In      ^ 


iM: 


■I , 


^  1 


328 


A'JiVG  'S  MO  UNTAIN 


stripped  of  provisions,  and  both  the  patriots  and  their  pris- 
oners sullered  greatly  lor  want  of  the  necessaries  of  Hfe. 
"The  party,"  says  the  British  Lieutenant  AUaire,  "was 
kept  marching  two  vlays  without  any  kind  of  provisions." 
Tliomas  You'.ig,  in  his  narrdtive,  refers  to  the  army 
arriving  on  Cane  creek  with  the  prisoners,  "where,"  he  adds, 
'•we  all  came  near  starving  to  death.  The  countr}-  was 
very  thinly  settled,  and  provisions  could  not  be  had  for  love 
Or  money.  I  thought  green  pumpkins,  sliced  and  fried, 
about  the  sweetest  eating  I  ever  had  in  my  life.  "  *  The  poor 
prisoners  fared  worse,  for  their  food  was  uncooked.  When 
camped  for  the  night,  they  were  fed,  while  surrounded  by  a 
cordon-guard,  like  so  many  farmers  swine — corn  upon  the 
car,  and  raw  pumpkins,  being  thrown  to  them,  which  the 
hungry  fellows  would  seize  with  avidity,  f  To  expedite  the 
march  of  the  army.  Colonel  Campbell  issued  an  order  on 
the  thirteenth,  while  yet  encamped  at  Walker's  place, 
directing  that  all  the  wounded  who  were  not  able  to  march 
with  the  army,  should  be  billeted  in  the  best  manner  pos- 
sible, the  several  companies  to  which  they  belonged  provid- 
ing the  necessary  assistance  for  their  removal  to  places 
selected  for  them.  *  This  was  probably  int-nided  to  ligluen 
the  army  of  a  part  of  its  encumbrance  ;  but  we  judge,  it  was 
found  impra<  ticable  in  that  setdement,  in  consequence  of 
the  scarcity  of  proxisions.  Thatda}^  according  to  Allaire's 
Diary,  the  troops  moved,  with  their  prisoners,  'Cwv.  or  six 
miles,  north-east  of  Walker's  to  Bickerstaff's,  or  Bigger- 
stafT's  Old  Fields,  since  known  as  the  Red  Chimneys,  where 
a  stack  of  chimneys  long  stood  alter  the  house  had  deca}ed 
and  been  demolished.  This  locality  is  on  Robertson's 
creek,  some  nine  miles  north-east  of  the  present  village  of 
Rutlieifordton. 

''Orion  Magazine.  Octubcr,  1843. 

f  Conversations  with  Joiin  Spelts,  an  eye-witness  to  these  scenes  ;  ar  J  also  with  Ben- 
jamin Starritt. 

I  Colonel  Campbell's  MS.  order,  preserved  by  General  Preston. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


329 


CHAPTER  XV. 


October— November,  1780. 


Colonel  Cauiphcll  PrnoiiitiiS  r/iiiiiltrin^-. —  Coiiiplnints  against  Tory 
LfUt/ers. —  Their  Ontrai^rs  on  ilw  IV/tii^s. — A  Court  called  to  Con- 
sider the  Matter. — Retaliation  for  British  Executions  Demanded. — 
A  Law  Found  to  Meet  the  Case. —  Charges  against  Mills,  Gil  key, 
and  McFall. —  Colonel  Davenport  Noticed. — Number  of  Tories 
Tried  and  Condemned. —  Case  of  fames  Crawford. — One  of  the 
Prisoners  Released. — Cleveland  Favoring  Severe  Measures. — 
Motives  of  the  Patriots  I  'indicated. — Shelby  s  Explanation. — 
Tories  Executed— their  Names  and  Residence. — Paddy  Carr's 
Remarks,  and  A'otice  of  Ilim. — lialdwin's  Singular  Escape. — 
Further  Executions  Stopped. —  Tories  Subsequently  Hung. — Rumor 
of  Tarleton's  Approach. —  ll'higs  Hasten  to  the  Catawba. — A  Hard 
Days  March — -Sufferings  of  Patriots  and  Prisoners. — Major  Mc- 
Doivell's  Kindness. — Mrs.  Mc Do-oell' s  Treatment  of  British  Ofji- 
ccs. — Some  of  the  Whig  Troops  Retire. — Disposition  of  the  J I  'ounded. 
— Prisoners  Escape — One  Re-taken  and  Hung. — March  to  the 
Mora-iUan  Settlements. — Bob  Powell's  Challenge. —  Ojjicial  Account 
of  the  Battle  Prepared. —  Campbell  and  Shelby  Visit  General  Gates. 
—  Clei'cland  left  in  Command. — His  Trial  of  Tories. — Escaf)e  of 
Green  and  I.aiigum. — Cleveland  Assaults  Doctor  Johnson. —  Colonel 
Armstrong  Succeeds  to  the  Command. — Escape  of  British  Officers. 

While  encamped  at  Bickerstair's,  on  Saturday,  the  four- 
teenth, Colonel  Campbell  issued  a  General  Order,  cU-^ilor- 
ing  the  "  many  deserters  from  the  army,"  and  the  felonies 
committed  by  them  on  the  po\erty-stricken  people  of  the 
country.  "  It  is  with  anxiety,"  he  adds,  "that  I  hear  the 
complaints  of  the  inhabitants  on  account  of  tlie  plundering 
parties  who  issue  out  of  the  camp,  and  indiscriminately  rob 
both  Whig  and  Tory,  leaving  our  friends,  I  believe,  in  a 
worse  situation  than  the  enemy  would  have  done:'"  and 
appeals  to  the  officers  "to  exert  themselves  in  suppressing 


v^. 


wn 


^K 


r'-t 
l!  n 


830 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


this  abominable  practice,  degrading  to  the  name  of  soldiers.'' 
He  furtiier  orders  that  none  of  the  troops  be  discharged, 
till  the  prisoners  can  be  transferred  to  a  proper  guard.  * 
But  some  of  the  prisoners  were  soon  to  be  disposed  of  in  a 
manner  evident)}^  not  anticipated  when  the  order  just  issued 
was  made  known  to  tlie  army. 

-  During  this  day,  an  important  occurrence  transpired  at 
Bickerstaff's.  The  officers  of  the  two  Carolinas  united  in 
presenting  a  complaint  to  Colonel  Campbell,  that  there 
were,  among  the  prisoners,  a  number  who  were  robbers, 
house-burners,  parole-breakers,  and  assassins.  The  British 
victory  near  Camden  had  made,  says  General  Preston, 
"  Cornwallis  complete  master  of  South  Carolina.  This 
power  he  was  using  with  cruelty,  unparalleled  in  modern 
civilized  conquest ;  binding  down  the  conquered  people 
like  malefactors,  regarding  each  Rebel  as  a  condemned 
criminal,  and  checking  every  murmur,  answering  every 
suspicion  with  the  sword  and  the  fire-brand.  If  a  suspected 
Whig  fled  from  his  house  to  escape  the  insult,  the  scourge 
or  the  rope,  the  myrmidons  of  Ferguson  and  Tarleton 
burned  it  down,  and  ravished  his  wife  and  daughters  ;  if  a 
son  refused  to  betray  his  parent,  he  was  hung  like  a  dog ; 
if  aw'ife  refused  to  tell  the  hiding-place  ol'  lar  husband,  her 
belly  was  ripped  open  b)-  the  butcher-knife  of  the  Tory  ; 
and  to  add  double  horror  and  infam}-  to  the  deep  damna- 
tion of  such  deeds,  Americans  were  forced  to  be  the  instru- 
ments for  perpetrating  them.  Tiaat  which  Tarleton  (beast, 
murderer,  hypocrite,  ravisher  as  he  was,)  was  ashamed  to 
do,  he  had  done  by  Americans — neighbors,  kinsmen  of  his 
victims.  I  draw  no  fancy  picture — the  truth  is  wilder  far 
than  the  fiibulist's  imagination  can  feign."  \ 

Bancroft  touching!  depicts  the  sad  condition  of  the 
people,  where  uncheckvd  Toryism  had  borne  sway  :  "  The 
sorrows  of  children  and  women,'' he  says,   "robbed  and 

*MS.   Order  preserved  by  General  Preston, 
t  King's  Mountain  W./rfz-Wf,  October,  1855,49. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


331 


wronged,  shelterless,  stripped  of  all  clothes  hut  those  they 
wore,  nestling  ahout  iires  they  kindled  on  the  ground,  and 
mourning  lor  their  lathers  and  hushands,"  were  witnessed 
on  every  hand  ;  and  these  helpless  suM'erers  appealed  to  all 
hearts  for  sympathy  and  prctection.  Colonel  Camphell,  on 
the  strength  of  the  complaints  made  to  him,  was  induced  to 
order  the  convening  of  a  court,  to  examine  fully  into  the 
matter.  The  Carolina  officers  urged,  that,  if  diese  men 
should  escape,  exasperated,  as  they  now  were,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  humiliating  defeat,  they  would  com- 
mit other  enormides  worse  than  their  former  ones.* 
The  British  leaders  had,  in  a  high-hand' d  and  summary 
manner,  hung  not  a  few  of  the  captured  patriots  at 
Camden,  and  more  recently  at  Ninety  Six,  and  Augusta  ; 
and  now  that  the  Whigs  had  the  means  of  retaliation  at 
their  command,  they  began  to  consider  whether  it  was 
not  their  duty  to  exercise  it ;  thinking,  probably,  that  it 
would  have  a  heaUhful  influence  upon  the  Loyalists — that 
the  disease  of  Toryism,  in  its  worst  aspects,  was  disastrous 
in  its  effects,  and  heroic  treatment  had  become  necessary. 

Colonel  Shelby,  with  others,  seems  to  have  taken  this 
view  of  the  subject.  When  the  mountaineers  "  reached 
Gilbert  Town,"  says  Shelby,  "  a  week  after  the  battle,  they 
were  informed  by  a  paroled  officer,  that  he  had  seen  eleven 
patriots  hung  at  Ninety  Six  a  few  days  before,  for  being 
Rebels.  Similar  cruel  and  uniusdfiable  acts  had  been 
committed  before.  In  the  opinion  of  the  patriots,  it  required 
retaliatory  measures  to  put  a  stop  to  these  atrocities.  A 
copy  of  the  law  of  North  Carolina  was  obtained,  which 
authorized  two  magistrates  to  summon  a  jury,  and  forthwith 
to  try,  and,  if  found  guilty,  to  execute  persons  who  had 
violated  its  precepts."  \  This  law  providing  capital  punish- 
ment, must  have  had  reference  to  those  guilty  of  murder, 
arson,  house-breaking,  riots,  and  other  criminal  offences. 


*  Ensign  Rolicrt  CanipbcH's  King's  ^{ollnt<1in  narrative, 
+  Shelby,  in  American  Kez'icw,  December,  1848. 


332 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


"Colonel  Campbell,"  sa3's  Ensign  Campbell,  "complied, 
and  ordered  a  court-martial  to  sit  immediately,  composed  of 
the  Held  officers  and  Captains,  who  were  ordered  to  inquire 
into  the  complaints  which  had  been  made.  Tiie  court  was 
conducted  orderh',  and  witnesses  were  called  and  examined 
in  each  case — the  consequence  was,  tluit  tliirl\--t\vo  were 
condemned."  * 

Under  the  law  as  cited  by  Colonel  Shelb}',  while  the 
tribunal  was,  no  doubt,  practically,  a  court-martial,  it  was 
nominalh",  at  least,  a  civil  court,  with  two  presiding  justices. 
There  was  no  difficult}^  on  this  point,  for  most  of  the 
North  Carolina  officers  were  magistrates  at  home — Colonel 
Cleveland,  and  four  or  five  others,  of  the  Wilkes  regiment 
alone  filling  that  position.  The  jury  was  composed  of 
twelve  officers — Lieutei^int  x\llaire,  in  his  Diar\\  denouncing 
it  as  "  an  infamous  mock  jury."  "  Under  this  law,"  says 
Shelb}',  "thirty-six  men  were  tried,  and  found  guilt}'  of 
breaking  open  houses,  killing  the  men,  turning  the  women 
and  children  out  of  doors,  and  burning  the  houses.  The 
trial  was  concluded  late  at  night;  and  the  execution  of  the 
law  was  as  summary  as  the  trial." 

How  much  of  the  evidence,  hurriedlv  adduced,  was  one- 
sided  and  prejudiced,  it  is  not  possible  at  this  late  day  to 
determine.  Colonel  Ambrose  Mills,  the  principal  person 
of  those  condemned,  was  a  man  of  fair  reputation,  and 
must  have  been  regarded  chiefly  in  the  light  of  being  a 
proper  and  prominent  character  upon  whom  to  exercise 
retaliatory  measures  ;  and  yet  it  was  necessary  to  make 
some  specific  charge  against  him — the  only  one  coming 
down  to  us,  is  that  relat  d  by  Silas  McBee,  one  of  the 
King's  Mountain  men  under  Colonel  Williams,  that  Mills 
had,  on  some  former  occasion,  instigated  the  Cherokees  to 
desolate  the  frontier  of  South  Carolina,  which  was  very 
likely  without  foundation.  It  was  proven  against  Captain 
Walter  Gilkey,  that  he  had  called  at  the  house  of  a  Whig ; 

''Annals  of  the  Army  of  Tennfssei\  1878. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


333 


and  inquiring  if  he  was  at  home,  was  informed  b}'  liis  son, 
a  youth,  that  he  was  absent,  when  the  Tory  Captain 
immediately  drew  liis  pistol,  discharged  it,  wounding  the 
lad  in  tlie  arm,  and  taking  his  gun  from  him.  Recovering 
from  his  wound,  this  youth  was  now  with  the  mountaineers, 
and  testified  against  his  would-be  murderer.  Gilkey's  aged 
father  was  present,  and  otVered  in  vain  his  horse,  saddle  and 
bridle,  and  a  hundred  dollars  in  money,  as  a  ransom  for 
his  son.* 

Another  case  somewhat  similar  to  Gilkev's,  was  that  of 
John  McFall,  a  noted  Tory  leader  of  Burke  Count\'.  Head- 
ing a  party  of  mounted  Loyalists,  McFall  dashed  up  to  the 
house  of  Martin  Davenport,  on  John's  river,  hoping  to 
capture  or  kill  him,  as  he  was  a  prominent  Whig,  and  had, 
more  than  once,  marched  against  the  Tories,  under  Colonel 
Cleveland  and  IMajor  McDowell.  But  they  tailed  to  find 
him,  as  he  was  absent  in  the  service.  The  Tory  band  vented 
their  spleen  and- abuse  on  Mrs.  Davenport,  and  directed  her 
to  prepare  breakfast  for  them  ;  and  McFall  ordered  the  lad, 
William  Davenport,  then  in  his  tenth  year,  to  go  to  the  corn 
crib,  procure  some  corn,  and  feed  the  horses  in  the  trough 
prepared  for  such  use  at  the  hitchi-.g  post.  After  getting 
their  meal,  and  coming  out  to  start  of!',  McFall  discovered 
that  the  horses  had  not  been  fed,  and  asked  the  little  fellow 
rouii'hh'  whv  he  had  not  done  as  he  had  bidden  him?  The 
spirited  little  Rebel  replied:  "If  you  want  your  horses  fed, 
feed  them  yourself."  Flying  into  a  passion,  McFall  cut  a 
switch  and  whipped  him  smartly. 

At  the  trial  at  BickerstaiT's,  when  McFall's  case  was 
reached.  Major  McDowell,  as  the  proper  representa- 
tive of  Burke  County,  whence  the  culprit  hailed,  was 
called  on  to  give  his  testimony- ;  when,  not  probably  regard- 
ing McFall's  Conduct  as  deserving  of  death,  he  was  disposed 


*  Conversations  with  Silas  Mcnee;  narrative  of  Knsign  Robert  Campbell ;  MS.  corres- 
pondence of  W.  L.  Twitty,  as  related  by  the  venerable  John  Gilkey,  of  Rutherford  County, 
N.  C,  in  no  way  related  to  his  Tory  namesake. 


I 


834 


KING  \S  MO  UNTAIN 


to  be  lenient  towards  him.  Colonel  Cleveland,  who,  it 
would  appear,  was  one  of  the  presiding  justices,  had  his 
attention  attracted  from  his  paper,  upon  which  he  was  mak- 
ing some  notes,  bv  hearing  McFalTs  name  mentioned, 
now  spoke  up — ''That  man,  McFall,  went  to  the  house 
of  Martin  Davenport,  one  of  my  best  soldiers,  when  he 
was  away  from  home,  lighting  for  his  country,  insulted  his 
wife,  and  whipped  his  child  ;  and  no  such  man  ought  to 
be  allowed  to  live."*  His  fate  was  scaled  by  this  revela- 
tion :  but  his  brother.  Arthur  IMcFall,  the  old  hunter  of  tlie 
mountains,  was  saved  through  the  kind  intervention  of  Major 
and  Captain  McDowell,  believing,  as  he  had  been  wounded 
in  the  arm  at  King's  Mountain,  it  would  admonish  him  not 
to  be  found  in  the  future  in  bad  compan}'.  f 

Benjamin  Sharp  represents  that  the  number  of  Tories 
condemned  to  the  gallows  was  upwards  of  forty,  Thomas 
Maxwell  and  Governor  David  Campbell  say  thirty-nine, 
Shelby  thirty-six.  General  Lenoir  and  Ensign  Campbell 
thirty-two,  while  Ramsey's  Tennessee,  Lieutenant  Allaire, 
Benjamin  Starritt  and  others,  give  the  number  as  thirty. 
Starritt  asserts  that  those  upon  whom  sentence  of  death  had 
been  pronounced,  were  divided  into  three  classes  of  ten  each 


*MS.  pension  statement  of  Riclinrd  Ballew,  of  Knox  County,  Ky.,  formerly  of  Burke 
County  N  C.  ;  MS.  leitors  of  Hon.  J.  ('.  H.irpor.  antl  Captain  W.  \V.  Lenoir,  who  hail 
the  particulars  from  William  Davenport  liimsulf.  Colonel  Davenport  was  born  in  Culpeper 
County.  Virginia,  Octoljer  i2,  1770  His  mother  dying  about  the  close  of  the  Revolution 
of  small-pox,  his  father  removed  to  tho  mountain  region,  on  Toe  river,  in  now  Mitchell 
County ;  a  hunter's  paradise,  where  he  cotdd  indulge  himself  in  his  favorite  occupation 
of  hunting,  and  where  his  son  William  killed  the  last  elk  ever  seen  in  North  Carolina. 
Colonel  William  Davenport  became  a  man  of  prominence,  representing  Burke  County  in 
the  House  of  Commons  in  i3oo,  and  in  the  Senate  in  1802.  He  possessed  an  extraordinary 
memory,  was  a  most  excellent  man  ;  and  was  the  chief  founder  of  Davenport  Female  Col- 
lege at  I.enoir.  He  married  the  widow  of  Major  Charles  Gordon,  one  of  the  KiTig\  Moun- 
tain heroes;  and  lived  for  many  years  in  the  Happy  Valley  of  the  Yadkin,  three  and  a 
half  miles  above  Fort  Defiance,  where  he  died  August  ig,  1859,  in  the  eighty-ninth  year  of 
his  age. 

•{•MS.  coriespor.dcnce  of  \V.  A.  McC.ill,  F,sq.,  of  McDowell  County,  N,  C,  who  knew 
.•\rthur  McFall  very  well.  He  used  to  speak  kindly  of  the  McDowells  befriending  him, 
and  said  that  Colonel  (Cleveland  hrid  little  mercy  on  Americans  who  were  caut;ht  fighting 
with  the  British,  Arthur  McFall  spent  most  of  his  life  as  a  hiintcr  in  the  mountains, 
making  his  home,  when  in  the  settlements,  with  old  acquaintances  He  was  a  man  after 
Daniel  Boone's  own  heart;  and  died  about  the  year  1835,  on  Grassy  Creek,  at  the  venerable 
age  of  between  ninety  and  a  hundred  years. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


335 


— Colonel  Mills  heading  the  Hrst  class,  and  James  Crawford 
the  second  class.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Crawford, 
who  lived  at  the  head  of  French  Broad  river,  belonged  to 
Sevier's  regiment ;  and  while  at  "  The  Bald  "  of  the  Yellow 
Mountain  on  their  outward  march,  had  enticed  Samuel 
Chambers,  an  inexperienced  youth,  to  desert  with  him,  and 
thev  gave  Ferguson  information  of  the  plans  and  approach 
of  the  mountaineers.  It  is  said,  that  when  Ferguson  had 
taken  post  on  King's  Mountain,  and  a  week  had  elapsed 
since  the  renegades  brought  the  report,  that  he  had  caused 
Crawford  to  be  tried  and  condemned  for  briniring  false  in- 
telliifence  ;  and  the  evenin^T  of  the  seventh  of  Oct(-)ber  had 
been  set  for  his  execution.  However  this  may  have  been, 
Colonel  Sevier  interceded  in  Crawford's  behalf,  as  he  could 
not  bear  to  see  his  old  neighbor  and  friend  sufler  an  igno- 
minious death,  and  had  him  pardoned.  He  subsequently 
removed  to  Georgia.  Young  Chambers'  guilt  was  excused 
on  account  of  his  youthfulness.  *  Judged  by  the  laws  of 
war,  Crawford  was  a  deserter  ;  and  in  view  of  the  inj^uy  he 
tried  to  inflict  on  the  Wliig  cause,  he  as  richl}'  deserved  the 
halter  as  Andre,  and  doubtless  much  more  than  any  of  his 
Tory  associates. 

As  Abram  Forney,  one  of  the  Lincoln  troops,  was  sur- 
veying the  prisoners,  through  the  guard  surrounding  them, 
he  discovered  one  of  his  neighbors,  who  only  a  short  time 
before  King's  Mountain  battle,  had  been  acting  with  the 
Whigs  ;  but  had  been  over-persuaded,  by  some  of  his  Tory 
acquaintances,  to  join  the  King's  troops.  Upon  seeing  h*  n, 
Forney  exclaimed — *'  Is  that  you,  Simon?"  "Yes,"  he 
replied,  quickly,  "  it  is,  Abram,  and  I  beg  you  to  get  me  out 
of  this  bull-pen  ;  if  you  do.  I  will  promise  ne\'er  to  be 
caught  in  such  a  scrape  again."  When  it  was,  accordingly, 
made  to  appear  on  the  day  of  trial,  that  he  had  been  untbrtu- 
nateh'  wrought  upon  by  some  Tcjr}'  neighbors,  such  a  miti- 
gation of  his  disloyalt}^  was  presented  as  to  induce  the  court 


'  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  James  and  George  \V.  Sevier,  and  Benjamin  Starritt, 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 

to  ovcM-look  liis  ofience,  and  set  him  at  liberty.  Soon  aflor- 
warcls,  true  to  his  promise,  he  joined  his  former  Whig 
comrades,  marclied  to  tlie  battle  of  Guilford,  and  made  a 
good  soldier  to  the  end  of  the  war.  * 

So  far  as  the  evidence  goes,  Colonel  Cleveland  was 
probably  more  active  and  determined  than  any  other  officer 
in  bringing  about  these  severe  measures ;  though  Colonel 
Brandon,  it  was  well  known,  was  an  inveterate  hater  of 
Tories  ;  and  Colonel  Shelby  seems  to  have  aided  in  lind- 
ing  a  State  law  that  would  meet  these  cases.  It  is  said 
that  Cleveland  had  previously  threatened  to  hang  certain 
Tories  whenever  he  could  catch  them ;  f  and  Governor 
Rutledgc,  shortly  after  this  affair,  ascribed  to  him  the  chief 
merit  of  the  execution  of  several  "  noted  horse  thieves  and 
Tories"  taken  at  King's  Mountain.  + 

The  Southern  country  was  then  in  a  very  critical  condi- 
tion, and  there  seemed  to  be  a  grave  necessity  for  checking, 
by  stern  and  exemplary  punishment,  the  Tory  lawlessness 
that  largely  over-spread  the  land,  and  impressing  that 
class  with  a  proper  sense  of  the  power  and  detcrminivtion 
of  the  Whigs  to  protect  their  patriot  friends,  and  punish 
their  truiltv  enemies.  Referring  to  the  action  at  Bicker- 
staff's.  Ensign  Campbell  well  observes:  "The  officers  on 
that  occasion  acted  from  an  honorable  motive  to  do  the 
greatest  good  in  their  power  ft)r  the  public  service,  and  to 
check  those  enormides  so  frequently  committed  in  the  States 
of  Nordi  and  South  Carolina  at  that  time,  their  distress 
being  almost  unequalled  in  the  annals  of  the  American 
Re\olution."  The  historian,  Bancroft,  errs  in  supposing 
that  these  execudons  were  the  work  of  lawless  "private 
soldiers."  §  The  complaints  against  the  Tory  leaders  were 
made  by  the  officers  of  the  western  armj-  from  the  two 
Carolinas,  and  the  court  and  jury  were   composed    exclu- 


\^^^{ 


*  Hunter's  Sketches,  pp.  266-67. 

f  Oordon's  .I;;«'>-/V(i«  !\c7roliituin,\v.,  ^66;  Mrs.  Warren's  Revolution, '\\,  2^2, 

J  Russell's  Magazine,    1857,  i,  543. 

g  History  0/  the  United  States,  x,  339. 


Ill 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


337 


sively  of  officers — ami  all  was  done  under  the  form  and 
sanction  of  law. 

While  the  jurist-historian,  Johnson,  could  have  wished 
that  the  conquerors  of  Ferguson  had  been  magnanimous, 
and  spared  these  miserable  wretches  from  the  gallows,  yet 
as  an  act  of  justice  and  public  policy  he  vindicates  their 
conduct.  Many  severe  animadversions,  he  observes,  have 
been  showered  on  the  brave  men  who  fought  at  King's 
Mountain  for  this  instance  of  supposed  severity.  War,  in 
its  mildest  form,  is  so  full  of  horrors,  Unit  the  mind  recoils 
from  vindicating  any  act  that  can,  in  the  remotest  degree, 
increase  its  miseries.  To  these  no  act  contributes  more 
than  that  of  retaliation.  Hence  no  act  should  be  \'entured 
upon  with  more  solemn  deliberation,  and  none  so  proper  to 
be  confined  to  a  commander-in-chief,  or  the  civil  power. 
But  tlie  brave  men  who  fought  in  the  aP'.iir  at  King's 
Mountain,  arc  not  to  be  left  loaded  with  unmerited  censure. 

The  calmest  and  most  dispassionate  reflection  upon 
their  conduct,  on  this  occasion,  will  lead  to  the  conviction, 
that  if  they  committed  any  offence,  it  was  against  their  own 
country — not  against  the  enemy.  That  instead  of  being 
instigated  b}'  a  thirst  of  blood,  they  acted  .■  jlely  with  a  view 
to  put  an  end  to  its  eft'usion  ;  and  boldly,  for  this  purpose, 
took  upon  themselves  all  the  dangers  that  a  system  of  retalia- 
tion could  superinduce.  The  olHcers  of  the  American  army, 
who,  twelve  months  afterwards,  hazarded  their  lives  by 
calling  upon  their  General  to  avenge  the  death  of  Ilayne, 
justly  challenge  the  gratitude  and  admiration  of  their 
country;  but  the  men  of  King's  Mountain  (for  it  is  avowed 
as  a  popular  act,  and  not  that  of  their  chief  alone),  merit 
the  additional  reputation  of  having  assumed  on  themselves 
the  entire  responsibility,  without  wishing  to  involve  the 
regular  ;.•  ny  in  their  dangers.  And  this  was  done  in  the 
plenitude  of  British  triumph,  and  when  not  a  man  of  them 
could  count  on  safety  for  an  hour,  in  anvthin<;  but  his  own 
bravery  and  \igilance. 


K'  \:-\ 


22 


338 


K/.VG'S  MOUNTAIN 


'.' 


i  I 


11 


i 


But  what  was  the  prospect  before  them?  They  were 
all  proscribed  men  ;  the  measures  of  Lord  CornwalHs  had 
put  them  out  of  the  protection  of  civilized  warfare;  and  the 
spirit  in  which  his  proclamations  ami  instructions  were 
executed  by  his  ollicers,  had  put  them  oul  of  the  protection 
of  common  humanity.  The  massacres  at  Camden  had 
occurred  not  six  weeks  before,  and  those  of  Brow  ne.  at 
Augusta,  scarcely  half  that  time.  Could  they  look  on  and 
see  this  system  of  cruelty  prosecuted,  and  not  try  the 
only  melanchol}'  measure  that  could  check  it?  The  eflect 
proved  that  there  was  as  much  of  rellection  as  of  passion  in 
the  act ;  for  the  little  despots  who  then  held  the  country, 
dared  prosecute  the  measure  no  farther.  Another  and  an 
incontestible  proof  that  blind  revenge  did  not  preside  over 
the  counsels  that  consigned  these  men  to  death,  is  drawn 
from  the  deliberation  with  which  the}'  were  selected,  and 
the  mildness  manifested  to  the  residue  of  the  prisom-rs. 

It  has  been  before  observed,  that,  in  the  ranks  of  Col- 
onel Ferguson,  there  were  many  individuals  notorious  as 
habitual  plunderers  and  murderers.  What  was  to  be  done 
with  these?  There  were  no  courts  of  justice  to  punish  their 
oflences;*  and,  to  d«."tain  them  as  prisoners  of  war,  was  to 
make  them  objects  of  exchange.  Should  sucli  pests  to 
society  be  again  enlarged,  and  su(Tered  to  renew  their  out- 
rages? Capture  in  arms  does  not  exempt  the  deserter  from 
the  gallows;  why  should  it  the  cold-blooded  murderer? 
There  was  no  alternative  left ;  and  the  officers,  with  all  the 
attention  to  form  that  circumstances  would  permit,  and 
more — a  great  deal,  it  is  believed — dian  either  Browne  or 


*Such  was  the  distractian  of  the  times,  that  Smith  Carolina,  during  the  period  of 
1780-S1,  w.is  without  a  civil  government,  Governor  Kiiilcdge  having  been  conipelled  to 
retire  from  tlie  State,  and  the  Lieutenant  Governor  and  some  of  the  Council  were  ])risoners 
of  war.  Nor  during  a  portion  of  the  war  did  North  Carolina  fare  much  better.  At  one 
time,  one  of  her  high  judicial  officers.  Samuel  Spencer,  could  only  execute  the  laws 
against  Tories  with  threats  and  attempied  intimidation  ;  the  Governor,  at  one  period,  was 
captured  and  carried  away.  When  Cornwallis  invaded  the  State,  the  prominent  officials 
fled,  carrying  the  public  records  to  Wa.shington  County,  Virginia,  on  the  lower  frontiers 
of  Holston,  as  a  place  of  asylum  and  security,  as  is  shown  by  a  MS.  letter  of  Colonel 
Arthur  Campbell  to  Hon.  David  Campbell,  September  15,   1810. 


AND  ITS  HEROES, 


889 


K' 
id 

1)1" 


Cornwallis  liiul  I'xhibitcd,  could  only  forma  council,  and 
consii^Mi  llu'in  to  llic  falc  that  woulil  lia\c  awaited  tlii-m  in 
the  regular  aihninislration  ot"  justice.  * 

It  is  but  just  and  proper,  in  this  connection,  to  i^ive  the 
views  of  Colonel  Shelb}-,  one  of  the  conspiciu»us  actors  in 
this  whole  alVair  ;  and  he  seems  to  justify  it  wholly  as  a 
measure  of  retaliation:  It  is  impossible,  he  obser\es,  for 
those  who  have  not  lived  in  its  miilst,  to  conceive  of  the 
exaspeiation  which  prevails  in  a  civil  war.  The  execution, 
therefore,  of  the  nine  Tories  at  [near]  Gilbert  Town,  will, 
by  many  persons,  be  considered  an  act  of  retaliation  unnec- 
essarily cruel.  It  was  believed  by  those  who  were  on  the 
•ground  to  be  both  necessary  and  proper,  for  the  purpose  of 
puttin<r  a  stop  to  the  execution  of  the  patriots  in  the  Caro- 
linas  by  the  Tories  and  British.  The  event  proved  the 
justice  of  the  expectation  of  the  patriots.  The  execution  of 
the  Tories  did  stop  the  execution  of  the  Whiijs.  And  it 
ma}'  be  remarked  of  this  cruel  and  lamentable  mode  of 
retaliation,  that,  whatever  excuse  and  jiretimses  the  Tories 
ma}'  have  had  for  their  atrocities,  the  British  otllcers.  who 
often  ordered  the  execution  of  Whigs,  had  none.  Their 
training  to  arms,  and  military  education,  should  have  pre- 
vented them  from  violating  the  rules  of  civilized  warfare  in 
so  essential  a  point,  f 

Earlv  in  the  evening,  the  trials  havinix  been  broutrht  to 
a  conclusion,  a  suitable  oak  was  selected,  upon  a  projecting 
limb  of  which  the  executions  were  to  take  place.  It  was 
by  die  roail  side,  near  the  camp,  and  is  yet  standing,  known 
in  all  that  region  as  the  Gci/lozvs  Oak.  ''i\)rch-lights  were 
procured,  the  condemned  brought  out,  around  wliom  the 
troops  formed  four  deep.  It  was  a  singular  and  interesting 
night  scene,  the  dark  old  woods  illuminated  with  the  wild 
glare  of  hundreds  of  pine-knot  torches  ;  and  quite  a  number 
of  the  Loj-alist  leaders  of  the  Carolinas  about  to  be  launched 


''Johnson's  Life  of  Greene,  i.  pp.  309-11, 

t  Conversations  with  Govtrnor  Shcil'y,  in  American  Review,  Decembei,  1848. 


310 


A'/X(;'S  MOUXTAIN 


\ 


into  etornily.  The  namos  oftlic  coiuU'ninod  Tories  were — 
Colonel  Ambrose  Mills,  Captain  Jaini-s  Chitwood,  Captain 
Wilson,  Captain  Walter  (xilki'v ,  Captain  (Jriines,  T^ieuti-n- 
ant  Lallerty,  John  McFall,  Jolm  Hibby,  and  Auiriisline 
ll(jbbs.  They  were  swun;^'  oil"  three  at  a  lime,  ami  K-ft 
suspended  at  the  place  of  execution.  According  to  Lieuten- 
ant Allaire's  account,  they  died  like  soldiers — like  martyrs, 
in  their  own  and  friends'  estimation.  "  These  brave  but  un- 
fortunate Loyalists,"  says  Allaire,  "  with  their  lati'st  bn-ath 
exjiressed  tlu'ir  uiuitleralile  detestation  of  the  Rebels,  and 
of  their  base  and  inl'amous  proceedinijs  ;  and.  as  they  were 
being  turned  oil',  extolled  their  King  and  the  Ihilish  Go\- 
ernment.  Mills,  Wilson  and  Chitwood  died  like  Romans."  * 
Among  the  small  party  of  Georgians  who  served  in  the 
campaign,  was  the  noted  Captain  Paddy  Carr,  heretofore 
introduced  to  the  reader.  Oevoid,  as  he  was.  of  the  liner 
feelings  of  humanity,  he  was  deeply  interested  in,  and 
greatly  enjoyed  these  sickening  executions.     If  there  was 


*  A'.'aire's  MS.  Diary ;  and  his  statements  as  ;;iven  in  the  Scot's  .tfagazinf  anil  Riving- 
ton's  Ki'yal  Cazitte. 

It  may  be  well  to  yivo  the  authorities  for  the  names  of  the  Loyalist  leaders  who  siilTcred 
on  this  occasion.  Lord  Cornwallis,  in  his  correspondence,  names  Colonel  Mills,  as  do 
several  liistorians ;  Allaire  gives  the  names  of  I'aptain  Wilson  and  C  liilwood  ;  (lilkcy 
is  referred  to  liy  Ensign  Campbell,  and  siic  ifically  named  by  Silas  Mcliee.  and  the  vener- 
alilc  John  Gilkey  ;  Captain  (irimes  is  mentioned  in  Ramsey's  Tennessn',  and  I'utnam's 
Middli-  Teniii'i^i'f :  McFall's  name  has  been  preserved  by  Kichard  llallew.  Ji<hn  Spelts, 
.and  Arthur  Mi  Kail — eye-witnesses,  and  his  prior  acts  at  Davenport's  are  r'l.ited  liy  Hon. 
J.  ('.  H.irpcr  .uid  Captain  \V.  \V.  Lenoir,  whoderived  them  from  William  Davenport;  the 
nan\cs  of  LatTerty  and  I'.ibby  have  been  communicated  by  W.  L.  Twitty,  as  the  tradi- 
tions of  ,-tgcd  people  of  Rutherford  County,  N,  C,  where  they,  as  well  as  Chitwood  lived, 
whose  name  is  likewise  preserved  in  the  memories  of  the  aged  inhabitants  of  that  region  ; 
and  the  name  of  Hobbs  is  alone  remembered  by  Silas  Mcliee, 

Colonel  Mills  resided  on  Green  river,  in  Rutherford  County  ;  Captain  Wilson,  in  the 
Ninety  Six  regi'in.  South  Carolina;  Chitwood,  Lafferty,  liibby,  and  probably  Uilkey,  in 
Rutherford;  McFall.  in  Hurke  C<junty  ;  Hobbs  most  likely  in  South  Carolina;  and  Orimcs 
in  Kast  PeiiTiessee,  where  he  was  a  leader  of  a  party  of  Tory  hnrsc-thieves  and  highway- 
men, and  where  some  of  his  band  were  taken  aiu'.  hung.  He  lied  to  escape  summary  pun- 
ishment, but  Justice  overtook  him  in  tlie  end.  His  baiulit  career  in  Tennessee  is  noticed 
in    Ramsey's  Ifistnry  o^    that  Slate,  pp.  179.  243;  and  l*ntnam's   Mitidlt*  Tennt'ssfe^  58. 

General  DePeyster,  in  his  able  Aiithvss  on  A'//:f's  Mountain,  before  the  New  York 
Historical  Society.  January,  4,  iS3i,  has  inadvertently  fallen  into  the  error  of  including 
Captain  Oates  as  among  those  e.\ecnled  with  Colonel  Mills,  citing  .Mrs.  Warren's  History 
as  authority.  Lord  Cornwalhs.  in  his  letter  to  General  Smallwood.  No\  ember.  10.  17S0. 
states  that  Captain  Oates  was  taken  by  the  .\mericans  near  the  Ped  ^e,  in  South  Carolina, 
and  "lately  put  to  death." 


AXD  ITS  HEROES. 


341 


anything'  he  liiitcd  more  than  aiiolher,  it  was  a  Tory  ;  ami. 
it  mav  be,  mucli  of  his  extreme  bitterness  jfrew  out  ot'  the 
fact,  tluit  he  knew  full  well  how  intensely  'le,  in  turn,  was 
hated  by  the  Loyalists.  Pointinj^  at  the  unfortunates,  while 
dandling  in  mid-air,  Carr  exclaimed:  "  WouKl  to  Ciod 
every  tree  in  the  wiklerness  bori'  sucli  I'ruit  as  that  I'"  * 

After  nine  of  the  Loyalist  leaders  h.ul  been  execuled, 
and  three  others  w<M'e  about  to  follow  suit,  an  unexpected 
incident  occurred.  Isaac  Haldwin,  oiu'  of  these  condi-nmed 
trio,  had  been  a  leader  of  a  Tory  yanjf  in  Burke  County, 
who  had  sacked  many  a  house,  strippin;^  the  imfortunate 
occupants  of  food,  beds  and  clothin^r ;  ;ind  not  unfri'C|uently, 
after  tyin^  tliem  to  trees,  and  whippini,f  them  seyerely, 
would  leaye  them  in  their  helpless  and  gory  conditicm  to 
tlu'ir  fate.  While  all  eyes  were  directed  to  Baldw  in  and 
his  companions,  pinioned,  and  awaiting  the  call  of  the  exe- 
cutioners, a  brother  of  IjaUhyin's,  a  mere  lad,  approached, 


'■''J.  L.  Cray's  MS.  st.-itcnient ;   Rutlicrford  yTwywm'v,  May  i.^,  1859. 

The  Ucvolmirinary  war  produced  few  cliaraclcrs  so  sinijular  and  so  notorious  as 
Patrick  Carr.  lie  was  by  birth  an  Irishman,  and  settled  in  Georgia  before  the  commcnce- 
munt  of  the  war.  It  is  only  in  the  latter  part  of  the  contest  we  are  able  to  trace  him,  Ue 
shared  as  a  Captain  under  Colonel  Clarke  in  the  heroic  attack  on  Augusta,  in  September, 
1780;  then  retired  to  the  ('arolinas,  and  joined  the  mountaineers  under  AKijor  Candler, 
and  fou.nht  at  Kings  Mountain.  The  following  niontli  we  find  him  under  Sumter  at  Jilack- 
stocks;  in  M.iy,  1731,  en^jaged  in  forays  against  Ilrilish  and  Tory  parties  in  Ocorgia.  way- 
laying and  defeating   them.  e.\teniling    little  or  no  mercy  to  any  of  them.     In    November. 

1781.  when  M.ijur  Jackson  surprised  the  Hrilish  p"-t  at  Ogeechec.  and  its  conciiKuuler. 
Johnson,  was  in  the  act  of  surrendering  his  sword  to  Jackson,  Carr  treacherously  killed 
Captain  Ooldsniilh.  Johnson  and  his  associates,  judging  that  no  (piarters  would  be  given 
them,  instantly  spr.ing  into  their  place  of  defence,  and  compelled  the  Americans  to  retire 
with  ronsidiralile  loss.  .-V  notorious  Tory  by  the  name  of  (lunu  had  concerted  a  plan  to 
kill  Colonel  Twiggs,  and  subseiiuently  fell  into  the  Colonel's  bauds,  when  Carr  insisted  that 
Gunn  should  be  hung;  But   Twiggs,  more    humane,  protected  the  prisoner  from  liariu.     In 

1782,  Carr  was  made  a  Major,  and.  in  the  spring  and  early  summer,  marched  with  a  force 
over  the  Altamaha,  where  he  had  twoskirmishes  with  whites  and  Indians,  On  one  occasion, 
(".irr  was  praised  for  his  bravery,  when  he  replied  that  had  not  God  given  him  too 
merciful  a  heart  he  would  have  made  a  very  good  soldier.  It  is  related  that  he  killed 
eighteen  Tories  on  his  way  back  from  King's  Mountain  and  Rlackstocks  to  Georgia  ;  and 
one  hundred  altogether  during  ilie  war,  with  his  own  hands!  Certain  it  is,  the  Tones 
stood  in  great  awe  of  him.  He  was  murdered,  in  August,  1802.  in  Jeffcrs(m  County, 
Georgia,  where  he  long  resided;  and,  it  is  said,  the  act  was  committed  by  descendants  of 
the  Tories.  In  r)cccmber  following,  the  JclTerson  County  troop  of  Light  Horse  asscmliled 
at  his  place  of  inteiment,  Lieutenant  Robinson  delivering  a  brief  eulogy,  when  the  milit.iry 
fired  a  volley  over  his  grave.    Though  "a  honey  of  a  patrii>t,   "  Paddy  Carr  left  a  name 

'■ 10  other  times, 

Mixed  with  few  virtues,  and  a  thousand  crimes." 


m 


J.  \ 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 

apparently  in  sincere  affection,  to  take  l.is  parting  leave.  He 
threw  his  arms  around  his  brother,  and  set  up  a  most  piteous 
screaming  and  lamentation  as  if' he  would  go  into  convul- 
sions, or  his  heart  would  break  of  sorrow.  While  all  were 
witnessing  this  touching  scene,  the  youth  managed  to  cut 
the  cords  confining  his  brother,  who  suddenly  darted  away, 
breaking  througli  the  line  of  soldiers,  and  easily  escaping 
under  cover  of  the  darkness,  into  the  surrounding  forest. 
Although  he  had  to  make  his  way  tlu-ough  more  than  a 
thousand  of  the  best  marksmen  in  the  world,  yet  such  was 
the  universal  admiration  or  feeling  on  the  occasion,  that  not 
one  would  lift  a  hand  to  stop  him.  * 

Whether  the  escape  of  Baldwin  produced  a  softening 
effect  on  the  minds  of  the  Whig  leaders — any  feelings  of 
forbearance  towards  the  condemned  survivors  ;  or  whether, 
so  far  as  retaliation,  or  the  hoped-for  intimidating  iniluence 
on  the  Tories  of  the  country,  was  concerned,  it  was  diougiit 
enough  lives  had  been  sacrificed,  we  are  not  informed. 
Some  of  these  men  must  have  been  tried  withiii  the  scope  of 
the  civil  law,  for  crimes  committed  against  society  ;  while 
others  must  have  been  tried  and  condemned  for  violations 
of  the  usages  of  war;f  and  yet,  after  all,  the  7;/(^;v// (_;^tr/ 
would  seem  to  ha\-e  been  the  principal  motive  for  these 
cases  of  capital  punishment. 

Referring  probably  to  the  two  companions  of  Baldwin 
al"ter  he  hud  efiected  his  escape,  we  have  this  statement  on 
the  Puthority  of  Colonel  Shelby:  "  Three  more  were  lied, 
ready  to  be  swung  off.     Shelby  interfered,  and  proposed  to 


*C"nvers.>tion'i  with  John  Spelts  nnd  Benjamin  Starritt;  Memoir  of  Mnjor  Thomas 
Vonns; :  lti\n^ox\'?<  Life  of  Cenernl  Greftir.  i.  310. 

Baldwin  tiiade  his  way  into  his  old  region,  in  l?urkc  County,  where  his  father  resided, 
on  Lower  Creek  ni  Catawba  ;  where  some  two  weeks  aftrrw.irds,  he  was  espied  in  the 
woods  by  some  scrnits  who  gave  chase,  and  finally  overtook  him,  one  of  the  )iiirsners  killing 
him  by  a  single  blow  over  the  head  with  his  rifle.  Some  forty-five  years  after  this  iragedy, 
a  younger  brother  of  Ike  Haldwin  -pr  ib  ibly  the  one  who  h.id  so  successfully  planned  liis 
e-.c  ipe  at  nil  kerstaff's— made  three  inelTectual  attempts  to  kill  the  man  who  had  brained 
the  'I'ory  free-booter. 

t  Speech  of  General  Alexander  Smyth,  in  Cunyress,  January  21,  i8iy,  Xilt's'  Kfgister, 
XV,.  Supplement,  151, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


843 


stop  it.  The  other  officers  agreed  ;  and  the  three  men  who 
supposed  tliey  hud  seen  their  hist  hour,  were  untied."*  The 
inference  is,  that  the  officers  here  referred  to,  who,  with 
Shelb}',  exercised  the  pardoning  power,  or  "  put  a  stop" 
to  further  executions,  were  the  presiding  officers  of  the 
court,  in  their  character  of  justices,  of  whom  Colonel  Camp- 
bell could  hardly  have  been  one,  though  a  magistrate  at 
home,  for  the  civil  court  was  acting  under  the  laws  of 
North  Carolina  ;  and  yet  Ensign  Campbell,  in  his  narrative, 
speaks  of  the  trials  having  been  conducted  before  a  court- 
martial,  and  adds,  that,  after  the  nine  were  executed,  *'  the 
others  were  pardoned  by  the  commanding  officer  ;  "  while 
another  eye-witness,  Benjainin  Sharp,  states  that  "  a  court 
was  detailed,"  and  after  the  nine  were  hung,  "  the  rest 
were  reprieved  by  the  commanding  officer."  Nor  is  the 
language  of  the  late  Governor  Campbell  less  explici::  "  A 
court-martial  was  ordered  and  organized  to  try  man\-of  the 
7\jrv  officers,  char<fed  b'/  tli'>  officers  of  North  and  South 
Carolina  with  many  offences — such  as  wiurdering  unofTend- 
ing  citizens  not  in  arms,  and  without  motive,  save  the  brutal 
one  of  destroying  human  life.  Thirty-nine  were  found 
guilty,  nine  of  whom  were  executed,  anr^  thirty  were  par- 
doned by  the  commanding  officer.''  f  \^  hether  the  surviv- 
ors were  pardoned  by  the  court  in  its  civil  capacity,  or  by 
the  commanding  officer  at  the  instance  of  a  court-martial, 
the  executions  ceased.  X 


"  Amencan  Review,  December,  1S4S. 

fMS.  statement  by  Gm.rnor  Campbell, 

J  This,  however,  w.is  nut  the  List  of  the  Tory  executions.  A  few  tlnys  after  Kii,g's 
Motiiitaiii  battle,  while  s"me  yoiiiiK  men  of  the  siirrcninilinK  country — Thomas  Patterson, 
who  escaped  while  a  prisoner,  and  foMght  so  br.\vely  in  the  action,  is  believed  to  have  been 
one  of  the  party— were  near  the  battle  tjroiind,  lookin)^  for  horses  in  the  range,  they  dis- 
covircil  I'lie  of  Kerniison's  frragers,  who  was  absent  .it  the  time  of  the  enga(,'ement.  They 
concluded  to  capture  him  ;  but  on  showing  such  an  intention,  they  were  surprised  at  his 
pluck,  in  tiring  on  them  single-handed —the  bullet  whizzing  close  by  them  withoi.t  harm. 
The  Tory  then  betook  himself  to  his  heels,  but  w.as  soon  overhauled,  and,  without  much 
ceremony,  was  suspended  to  the  limb  of  a  tree  by  means  of  one  of  the  halters  designed  for 
the  horses  Mis  carcass  was  left  hanging  till  it  decayed,  and  dropped  to  the  ground:  while 
the  rope  dangled  from  the  limb  for  several  years.  So  relates  the  venerable  K.  A.  Patterson, 
a  grand-son  ol  youtig  Arthur  Patterson,  who,  while  a  prisoner  on  King's  Mountain,  escaped 


««ftW>u»«.,,i,,. 


t  ' 


i 


344 


KIXG'S  MOUNTAIN 


One  of  the  rcprie\ocl  Tories,  touched  with  a  sense  of  the 
obligation  he  was  under  lor  sparing  his  Hfe,  and  perhaps 
resolved  thereafter  to  devote  his  energies  totlieWhii;  cause, 
went  to  Colonel  Shelby  at  two  o'clock  that  night,  and 
made  this  revelation  :  "  You  have  saved  my  life,"  said  he, 
"  and  I  will  tt'll  you  a  secret.  Tarleton  will  be  here  in  die 
morning — a  woman  has  brought  the  news."  *  No  ibt 
intelligence  came  that  Tarleton  had  been  dispatclied  bv 
Lord  Cornwallis  with  a  strong  force  for  the  relief  of  Fergu- 
son,  if  relief  could  be  of  any  service  ;  but  a«  to  the  par- 
ticular time  of  his  arrival,  that  was  the  merest  guess-work, 
and,  with  the  Tories,  the  wish  was  father  to  the  thought. 
But  the  Whig  leaders,  on  receiving  this  information,  deeming 
it  prudent  to  run  no  risk,  but  to  retire  with  their  prisoners  to 
a  place  of  safety,  instantly  aroi  jed  the  camp,  picking  up 
everything,  sending  the  wounded  into  secret  places  in  the 
mountains,  and  making  every  preparation  for  an  early  start 
in  the  morning,  f  They  marched,  according  to  Allaire's 
Diarw  at  tlie  early  hour  of  live  o'clock,  on  Sunday,  the 
fifteenth  of  October. 

Tlie  poor  LoNalist  leaders  had  been  left  swinging  from 
the  sturd}^  oak  upon  which  tluw  had  been  executed.  No 
sooner  had  the  Whigs  moved  off,  than  Mrs.  Martha  Bicker- 
staff,  or  Biggerstaff,  the  wife  of  Captain  Aaron  Bickerstall' 
who  had  served  under  Ferguson,  and  been  mortally 
wounded  at  King's  Mountain,  with  the  assistance  of  an  old 
man  who  worked  on  the  farm,  cut  down  the  nine  dead 
bodies.  Eight  of  them  were  buried  in  a  shallow  trench, 
some  two  feet  deep  ;  while  the  remains  of  Captain  Chitwood 

diirinn  the  battle;  cormhoratcd  by  the  venerable  Abraham  Hardin.  Colonel  J.  R. 
Logan  communicated  Mi     Patterson's  tradition  of  the  affair. 

Not  long  after  the  action  at  King's  Mountain,  a  ciuiple  of  Tories  were  caught  aid 
hung  on  an  oak  tree,  near  Sandy  Plains  Baptist  Chnrch,  in  the  edge  of  Cleveland  County, 
some  four  miles  south-east  of  Flint  Hill.  Neither  their  names,  nor  the  crimes  with  which 
they  were  charged,  have  been  preserved.  The  tree  im  which  they  were  executed  is  Mill 
standing,  and  like  llint  at  the  Bii  ker-itaflT  Red  Chimneys,  is  known  as  the  Gallows  ( )ak  ;  it 
has  been  dead  several  ye.irs.  This  tradition  has  been  communicated  by  the  aged  father  of 
Daniel  D.  Martin,  of  liuthcrford  County,  and  Colonel  J.  K.  Logan. 

*Shelby's  account  in  American  Review. 

+  Shelby's  account. 


■m^ 


■A 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


345 


were  conveyed  b^-  some  of  his  friends,  on  ;i  plank,  half  a 
mile  away  to  Benjamin  BickerstafT's,  where  they  were 
interred  on  a  hill  still  used  as  a  grave-yard.  About  1855, 
a  party  of  road-makers  concluded  to  exhume  the  remains 
of  Colonel  Mills  and  his  companions,  as  the  place  of  their 
burial  was  well  known.  The  graves  of  only  four  of  the 
number  were  opened,  the  bones  soon  crumbling  on  expo- 
sure. Several  articles  were  found  in  a  ver^-  good  state  of 
preservation — a  butcher  knife,  a  small  brass  chain  about  five 
inches  in  length,  evidently  used  in  attaching  a  powder-horn 
to  a  shot-bag,  a  thumb  lancet,  a  large  musket  flint,  a  goose- 
quill,  with  a  wooden  stopper,  in  which  were  three  or  four 
brass  pins.  These  articles,  save  the  knife,  and  a  portion 
of  the  pins,  are  preserved  by  M.  O.  Dickerson,  Esq.,  of 
Rutherfordton.  * 

Shortly  after  marching  from  Bickerstafl^'s,  rain  began  to 
fall  in  tt)rrents,  and  it  never  ceased  Uie  whole  day.  "  In- 
stead of  halting,"  says  Benjamin  Sharp,  "we  rather  mended 
our  pace  in  order  to  cross  the  Catawbariver  before  it  should 
rise  to  intert-  pt  us."  It  was  regarded  as  essential  to  get 
out  of  Tarleton's  reach,  and  hence  the  straining  of  every 
nerve,  and  the  exercise  of  every  self-denial,  to  accomplish 
so  important  an  object.  The  sanguinary  character  of  that 
impetuous  British  cavalry  oHicer,  and  the  celerity  of  his 
movemeui....  as  shown  at  Buford's  defeat,  at  Monk's  Corner, 
and  at  Sumter's  surprise  at  Fishing  Creek,  admonished 
the  Whig  leaders  of  the  enemy  tl  y  might  have  to  deal 
with  ;  and  impelled,  on  this  occasioii,  b)-^  the  hope  of  rescu- 
ing several  hundred  British  and  Tory  prisoners  was  ver}' 
naturallv  regarded  by  the  patriots  as  a  powerful  incentive 
for  Tarleton  to  push  them  to  the  utmost  extremity,  and  play 
cut  and  slash  as  usual — and  hence  the  supposed  necessity 
of  equal  exertions  on  their  part  to  avert  so  great  a  calamity. 
It  is  not  a  little  singular  that,  at  this  very  moment,  Ccrn- 
wallis    and   Tarleton    were   retreating   from    Charlotte    to 


w 


n 


'MS.  ciirrcspondeiice  of  W,  L.  Twitty  and  Mr   Dickerson. 


31G 


KING  '5  MO  UNTAIN 


m 


e«ii    ;. 


Winnsboro,  South  Carolina,  with  all  their  might  and  main — 
"  with  much  fatigue,"  says  Lord  Rawdon,  "occasioned  by 


iolent 


fci 


that  the  "  th 


th 


nd 


re 


ported 
"  It  was 


anis  ;  learmg  tiiat  tne  "  three  tlious 
victorious  moimtaineers  were  in  hot  pursuit 
amusing,"  said  one  of  the  King's  Mountain  men,  "when 
we  learned  the  facts,  how  Lord  Cornwallis  was  nmning  in 
fright  in  one  direction,  and  we  mountaineers  as  eagerly 
fleeinu  in  the  other."* 

In  Allaire's  newspaper  narrative,  we  have  this  account 
— whether  colored  or  distorted,  we  have  no  means  of 
determining:  "  On  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth.  Colonel 
Campbell  had  intelligence  that  Colonel  Tarleton  was 
approaching  him,  when  he  gave  orders  to  his  men,  that 
should  Tarleton  come  up  with  them,  they  were  immediately 
to  fire  on  Captain  DePeyster  and  his  officers,  who  were  in 
the  front,  and  then  a  second  volley  on  the  men.  During 
this  day's  march,  the  men  were  obliged  to  give  thirty-five 
Continental  dollars  for  a  single  ear  of  Indian  corn,  and  forty 
for  a  drink  of  water,  they  not  being  allowed  to  drink  when 
fording  a  river ;  in  short,  the  whole  of  the  Rebels'  conduct 
from  the  surrender  of  the  party  into  their  hands,  is  incredible 
to  relate.  Several  of  the  militia  that  were  worn  out  with 
fatigue,  not  being  able  to  keep  up,  were  cut  down  and 
trodden  to  death  in  the  mire." 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  according  to  Allaire's 
Diary ^  and  as  late  as  two  o'clock,  according  to  Shelby,  when 
the  wearied  troops  and  prisoners  reached  the  Catawba,  at 
the  Island  Ford,  where  the  river  was  breast  deep  as  they 
forded  it.  They  bivouacked  on  the  western  bank  of  the 
river  at  the  Qiuiker  Meadows — the  home  of  Major  Mc- 
Dowell. "A  distance  of  thirty-two  miles,"  says  Allaire, 
'•  v/as  accomplished  this  day  over  a  very  disagreeable  road, 
all  the  men  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  fasting,  the  prisoners 
having  had  no  bread  nor  meat  for  two  days" — and,  appar- 
ently, not  even  ravv  corn  or  pumpkins.    Nor  had  the  Whigs 

*MS.  Notes  of  conversations  with  Silas  McBee,  in  1843. 


■^••-■^.  . 


4 


'    ! 


1 

■ .' " 
■    1 
\ 

^  ;  j 

i 


^  :^  A/  //o-Cf '■/<"> 


my'^-. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


347 


fared  an}'  better,  judging  from  the  statement  in  the 
American  Rcvicxv,  dictated  by  Colonel  Shelby:  "As  an 
evidence  of  the  hardships  undt-rgone  by  these  brave  and 
hard}'  patriots,  Colonel  Shelby  says  that  he  ate  nothing 
from  Saturday  morning  until  after  they  encamped  Sunday 
night — [or  rather  Monday  morning] — at  two  o'clock." 
Benjamin  Sharp  throws  additional  light  on  the  privations 
of  the  patriots:  ^'During  the  whole  of  this  expedition," 
he  states,  "except  a  few  days  at  our  outset,  I  neither  tas'u'd 
bread  nor  salt,  and  this  was  the  case  with  nearly  every  man  ; 
when  we  could  get  meat,  which  was  but  seldom,  we  had  to 
roast  and  eat  it  without  either ;  sometimes  we  got  a  few 
potatoes,  but  our  standing  and  principal  rations  were  ears 
of  corn,  scorched  in  the  fire  or  eaten  raw.  Such  was 
the  price  paid  by  the  men  of  the  Revolution  for  our 
independence." 

Here,  at  McDowell's,  some  provisions  were  obtained — 
not  much  of  a  variety,  but  such  as  satisfied  half-star\ed 
men  ;  nor  did  they  seek  rest  until  the}-  had  dried  themselves 
by  their  camp  fires,  and  enjoyed  their  simple  repast. 
"  Major  McDowell,"  says  Sharp,  "rode  along  the  lines, 
and  informed  us  that  the  plantation  belonged  to  him,  and 
kindly  invited  us  to  take  rails  from  his  fences,  and  make 
fires  to  warm  and  dry  us.  I  suppose  that  every  one  felt 
grateful  for  this  generous  ofier ;  for  it  was  rather  cold,  it 
being  the  last  of  October,  and  ever}'  one,  from  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief to  the  meanest  private,  was  as  wet  as  if  he 
had  just  been  dragged  through  the  Catawba  river." 

It  is  evident  from  Allaire's  Diary.,  that  when  it  was  pos- 
sible, courtesies  were  extended  to  the  British  officers — even 
when  the  Whig  patriots  themselves  were  camping  out  on 
the  ground.  "  We  officers,"  he  says,  "  were  allowed  to  go 
to  Colonel  McDowell's,  where  we  lodged  comfortably."  A 
little  incident  transpired  on  this  occasion  which  the  good 
Lieutenant  did  not  care,  perhaps,  to  record  in  his  Diary. 
Seme  of  these  very  same  officers  had  visited  the  residence 


(■f. 


\ 


348 


A'nVG  'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


m 


m 


of  the  McDowell's,  under  very  cliHerent  circumstances,  the 
preceding  month,  when  Ferguson  had  invaded  tlu'  llpper 
Catawba  Valley,  and  when  the  two  brothers.  Colonel 
Charles  and  Major  Joseph  McDt)well,  had  retired  with  their 
little  band  across  the  mountains.  Their  widowed  mother 
was  the  presiding  hostess  of  the  old  homestead  at  the 
Qiuiker  Meadows;  she  was  a  woman  of  luicommon  energy 
and  fearlessness  of  character — a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 
She  possessed  a  nice  perception  of  right  and  wrong  ;  and, 
withal,  was  not  wanting  in  her  share  of  quick  temper 
peculiar  to  her  people. 

Some  of  these  visitors,  having  ransacked  the  house  for 
spoils,  very  coolly  appropriated,  among  other  things,  the 
best  articles  of  clothing  of  her  two  noted  Rebel  sons  ;  and 
took  the  occasion  to  tantalize  the  aged  mother  with  what 
would  be  the  fate  of  her  boys  when  they  should  catch  them. 
Charles  should  be  killed  out-right,  but  as  for  Joe,  they 
would  first  compel  him,  by  way  of  humiliation,  to  plead  on 
his  knees  for  his  life,  and  then  would  slay  him  without 
mercy.  But  these  threats  did  not  in  the  least  intimidate 
Mrs.  McDowell ;  but  she  talked  hack  at  them  in  her  quaint, 
effective  Irish  style,  intimating  that  in  the  whirligigs  of  life, 
they  might,  sooner  or  later,  have  a  little  begging  to  do  tor 
themselves.  The  chanwd  circumstances  had  been  brouj^ht 
about  in  one  short  month,  quite  as  much,  perhaps,  to  the 
surprise  of  the  good  old  lady,  as  to  the  proud  officers  of 
Ferguson's  Rangers.  Now  they  appeared  again,  wet, 
weary,  and  hungry  :  but  Mrs.  McDowell  readily  recognized 
them,  and  it  required  not  a  little  kind  persuasion  on  the 
part  of  Major  McDowell  to  induce  his  mother  to  give  those 
"  thieving  vagabond  Tories,"  as  she  termed  them,  shelter, 
food,  and  nourishment.  But  the  appeals  of  her  filial  son,  of 
whom  she  was  justly  proud,  couphnl  with  the  silent  plea  of 
human  beings  in  their  needy,  destitute  condition,  prevailed  ; 
and  in  her  Christian  charity,  she  returned  good  for  e\il.* 


*  Related  by  the  lady  of  Ex-Governor  Lewis  E.  Parsons,  of  Alabama,  who  derived  it  from 
her  mother,  a  d.iiighter  of  Major  Joseph  McDowell,  of  Quaker  Mead'   vs. 


i 


AXD  ITS  HEROES. 


349 


It  was  fortunate  for  the  mountaineers  that  they  had  suc- 
ceeded in  crossing  the  Catawha  so  opportunely,  for  the  next 
morning  they  found  it  liad  risen  so  much  as  to  be  past 
fording.  Tins  obstacU;  would  naturally  j^revent,  for  some 
time,  all  pursuit,  if  indeed  any  had  been  made.  It  was 
now  arranged  that  Colonel  Lacey's  men*  should  be  per- 
mitted to  return  to  South  Carolina,  while  most  of  Shelby's 
and  Sevier's  regiments,  with  the  footmen  of  the  Virginians, 
should  take  their  home  trail  across  the  mountains.  The 
mounted  men  of  Campbell's  regiment,  with  the  Wilkes  and 
Surry  tnjops  under  Cleveland  and  Winston,  and  perhaps 
McDowell's  party,  together  with  a  few  of  Sevier's  and 
Shelby's  young  men  who  preferred  to  remain  in  the  service, 
and  who  had  incorporated  themselves  into  McDowell's 
corps,  now  constituted  the  escort  for  the  prisoners.  Shelbv 
states,  that  at'ter  the  several  corps  had  retired  at  the  Catawba, 
there  remained  not  more  Whigs  than  tliey  had  prisoners  to 
guard — about  five  or  six  hundred. 

The  wounded  Americans,  who  had  been  hid  away  in  the 
mountains  when  the  troops  marched  so  hurriedly  from 
BickerstatT's.  were  soon  brought  forward  ;  and  man}-  of  them 
were  left  in  Burke  Countv,  eight  or  ten  miles  above  Burke 
Court  House,  where  Doctor  Dobson,of  that  neighborhood, 
had  eighteen  of  them  under  his  care  at  one  time  ;  four  of 
whom  were  Wilkes  and  Surry  County  officers  billeted  at 
a  Mr.  Mackey's.  \ 

After  a  needful  rest,  and  the  return  of  fair  weather,  the 
patriots  proceeded  at  two  o'clock  on  Mi/uday  afternoon, 
October  sixteenth,  directing  their  course,  by  easy  marches, 
to  the  head  of  the  Yadkin,  and  down  the  valle}-  of  that 
stream.  Fording  Upper  creek,  or  the  North  branch  of 
the  Catawba,  and  John's  river,  they  encamped  that  night  at 
a  Tory  plantation,  not  ver\-  far  beyond  the  latter  stream. 

While  on  the  hurried  and  toilsome  march  from   Bicker- 


*  Pension  statements  of  William  White  of  Lacey's  regiment,  and  William  Alexander 
of  Campbell  s  men. 

t  Lieutenant  Ncwell's  statement,  1823. 


r. 


n 


'  m 


;  f 
\  i 

;  \ 


Tf 


350 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


stafF's  to  tlie  Catawba,  and  especially  (liirinjT  several  hours  of 
the  evening,  amid  rain  and  mud.  it  proved  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity for  many  of  the  prisoners  to  give  their  guards  the  slip, 
and  ellect  their  escape.  Allaire  says  the  number  reached  a 
hundred.  To  put  a  stop  to  these  numerous  desertions,  the 
Whig  leaders  promulgated  severe  admonitions  of  the  con- 
sequences of  any  further  attempts  in  that  direction  ;  but 
they  did  not  eff-X'tually  restrain  the  daring  and  adventurous. 
Having  marched  fit'teen  miles  during  Tuesda}',  passing 
through  ITappv  Valley  and  over  Warrior  Mountain,  the 
troops,  with  their  prisoners,  camped  that  evening  at  Captain 
Hatt's  plantation,  not  very  far  from  Fort  Deliance  ;  and, 
during  the  night,  three  of  the  prisoners  attempted  to  evade 
their  guards,  two  of  them  succeeding,  while  the  othiT  was 
shot  dn-ough  die  body,  retaken,  and  executed  at  live  o'clock 
on  the  following  morning.  * 

During  Wednesdav,  the  eighteendi,  the  troops  forded 
Elk  and  Warrior  creeks,  camping  that  night  on  the  west- 
ern bank  of  Moravian  creek,  a  short  distance  west  of 
Wilkes  Court  House,  having  accomplished  eighteen  miles  ; 
and  passing  the  next  day  through  the  Old  Mulberry  Fields, 
or  Wilkes  Court  House,  they  took  \ip  their  camp  at 
Ilagoods'  plantation,  on  Brier  creek,  having  marched  six- 
teen miles  this  day.  While  in  camp,  on  Brier  creek. 
Colonel  Campbell  appears  to  have  discharged  some  of  his 
Virginians,  for  he  wrote  a  letter  on  the  twentieth,  to  his 
brother-in-law,  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell,  giving  him  a 
brief  account  of  the  battle,  but  was  uncertain  as  yet  what 
disposition  would  be  made  of  the  prisoners.  Taking  a  late 
start  on  Friday,  six  miles  only  were  accomplished,  camping 
that  night  at  Sales'  plantation.  Proceeding'  by  slow 
marches,  the}^  passed  Salem,  arriving  at  Bethabara,  or  Old 
Town,  on  the  twent3--fourth — both  Moravian  villages — 
whose  people,  according  to  Allaire,  were  stanch  friends 
of  the  King,  and  were  verv  kind  to  all  the  prisoners. 


*  Allaire's  MS.  Di,uy.     Capt.  Uatl  may  possibly  be  designed  for  Capt.  Holt  or  Hall. 


AND  ITS  HEROES 


851 


The  very  first  nij^ht  the  Ihitisli  ofllcers  had  beea 
assigneil  quarters  at  Betliahara,  Lieutenant  Alhiire  and 
Doctor  Johnson,  who  were  rooniini^f  toj^ether,  were  driven 
from  thi'irbed  by  a  violent  WhiL,^  Captain  named  Campbell, 
who,  with  drawn  sword,  threatenetl  tlu-m  with  dcatli  it' they 
did  not  instantly  obey  him.  Colonel  Camjibell  was  notitied 
of  this  rudeness,  who  had  the  unseasonable  intrudir  turned 
out  of  the  room  ;*  and  this  is  but  another  instance  of  his 
sense  of  justice  towards  helpless  prisoners. 

Amony;  the  Tory  captivi's,  was  a  notorious  desperado 
named  Bob  Powell.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  size,  slroni^, 
supple,  and  powerful.  He  boasted  of  his  superior  ability 
and  agility  to  out-hop,  out-jump,  out-wrestle,  or  out-tight 
any  Whig  in  tlie  army.  He  seemed  to  possess  a  happier 
faculty  of  getting  into  scrapes,  than  in  getting  out.  Chained 
with  two  accomplices  for  some  bad  conduct,  he  sent  word 
one  morning  that  he  wanted  to  see  Colonels  Campbell, 
Shelby  and  Cleveland,  on  a  matter  of  importance.  When 
waited  on  by  those  officers,  he  seemed  to  think  that  the 
proposition  he  was  about  to  submit  was  a  matter  of  no  small 
consideration — no  less  than  a  challenge  to  wrestle  or  fight 
with  the  best  man  they  could  produce  from  their  army, 
conditioned  that,  should  he  prove  victor,  his  freedom  should 
be  his  reward;  should  he  fail,  he  would  regard  his  life  as 
forfeited,  and  they  might  hang  him.  Though  a  couple  of 
guineas  were  offered  to  any  man  who  would  successful!} 
meet  him — probably  '^ore  with  a  view  of  an  exhibition  of 
the  "manly  art,"  as  then  regarded  by  tlie  frontier  people, 
yet  nc  one  saw  fit  to  engage  in  the  ofiored  contest.  Under 
the  circimistances,  all  knew  full  well  that  Powell  would 
fight  with  the  desperation  of  a  lion  at  bay  ;  and  none  cared 
to  run  the  risk  of  encountering  a  man  of  his  herculean  pro- 
portions, with  the  stake  of  freedom  to  stimulate  his  efibrts.f 

It   was    apparently  while  at  Bethabara,  that  Colonels 


'  / 


*  Allaire's  MS    Diary,  aiut  his  newspaper  narrative. 

f  MS.  Miites  of  conversation  willi  Jolin  Spelts,  an  eye-witness. 


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352 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Campbell,  Shelby,  and  Cleveland  made  out  their  oflicial 
report  of  King's  Mountain  battle.  Had  it  been  prepared 
before  Colonels  Lacey  and  Sevier  h:d  retired  at  the  Q^uiker 
Meadows,  the  names  of  those  two  ofhc^rs  would  doubtless 
have  been  attached  to  it  also.*  Colonel  Shelby  accom- 
panied the  troops  to  Bethabara.  He  had  been  deputed 
to  visit  General  Gates  at  Hillsboro,  to  tender  the  services 
of  a  corps  of  mountaineers,  mostly  refugees,  under  Major 
McDowell,  to  serve  under  General  Morgan.  Colonel 
Campbell  also  had  occasion  to  repair  to  head-quarters  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  disposition  of  the  prisoners. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  October,  Colonel  Campbell  issued 
a  General  Order,  appointing  Colonel  Cleveland  to  the 
command  of  the  troops  and  prisoners  until  his  expected 
return,  especially  providing  that  lull  rations  be  issued  to  the 
prisoners  ;  adding,  "  it  is  to  be  hoped,  no  insult  or  violence 
unmerited  will  be  offered  them  ;  no  unnecessary  injury  be 
done  to  the  inhabitants,  nor  any  liquor  be  sold  or  issued  to 
the  troops  without  an  order  from  the  commanding  officer,"  f 
Here  we  have  additional  evidence,  if  any  were  needed, 
of  Campbell's  humanity  and  good  sense. 

Colonels  Campbell  and  Shelby  had  scarcely  departed, 
when  new  troubles  arose  in  the  treatment  of  the  prisoners. 
Allaire  tells  us,  that  one  of  the  Whig  soldiers  was  passing 
the  guard,  where  the  captives  were  confined,  when  he  rudely 
accosted  them:  "  Ah  I  d — n  you,  you'll  all  be  hanged!" 
One  of  die  prisoners  retorted — "  Never  mind  that,  it  will  be 
your  turn  next  I  "     For  this  trifling  offence,  the  poor  fellow 


*  Doctor  Ramsey,  in  his  History  of  Trnnessre.  states  that  the  three  Colonels  visited 
Hillshoro,  and  thore  made  out  their  report.  Colonel  riovcland  did  not  go  there  on  that 
occasion,  having  been  left  in  command  at  Bethaliara.  His  name  was  signed  to  the  report 
ny  himself,  and  not  by  another  as  a  rnmparison  of  his  pennine  autograph  with  the/jc'- 
j/»«/7(' signature  to  the  report  conclusively  shows.  Perhaps  as  a  compliment,  Colonel  Cleve- 
land was  permitted  to  head  the  list,  in  si,i;nin!j  the  report,  as  shown  in  /ac  stiiiile  in 
Lossings  Field  3ook  of  the  Re-i'olution  :  hut  when  C.cncral  Gates  sent  a  copy.  November  i, 
1780.  to  Governor  Jefferson,  to  forward  10  Conqrcss,  he  very  properly  placed  Camphetl's 
name  first.  Sliclhys  nc.\t.  and  Cleveland's  last— and  so  they  appear  as  published  in  the 
gazettes  at  the  time  hv  order  of  Congress. 

fMS.  order,  preserved  by  General  Preston, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


353 


:( 


was  tried  before  Colonel  Cleveland,  and  condemned  to  be 
hung.  Qiiite  a  number  of  people  [gathered  at  Belhabara  to 
witness  the  e.\'  cution  of  the  unfortunate  man  ;  "  but,''  adds 
Allaire,  "Colonel  Cleveland's  goodness  extended  so  far  as 
to  reprieve  him." 

About  this  dme,  Captain  William  Green  and  Lieutenant 
William  Langum,  among  the  Tory  prisoners,  were  tried 
before  Colonel  Cleveland.  The  char'^e  a-jainst  Green 
seems  to  have  been,  that  he  had  violated  the  oath  he  had 
taken  as  an  ollicer  to  support  the  governments  of  the  State 
of  North  Carolina  and  of  the  United  States,  by  accepting  a 
British  commission,  and  lighting  at  King's  Mountain.  Some 
of  the  British  oilicers  were  present,  and  remonstrated  at  the 
course  taken,  when  Cleveland  cut  them  short,  saying : 
"Gentlemen,  you  are  British  oHicers,  and  shall  be  treated 
accordingly- — therefore  give  your  paroles  and  march  off 
immediately  ;  the  other  person  is  a  subject  of  the  State.''  * 
Green  and  Langum  were  condemned  to  be  executed  the 
next  morning.     ''  May  be  so,"  coolly  remarked  Green. 

That  night,  as  he  and  his  conn'ade,  Langum,  were  l\'ing 
before  the  camp-iire,  under  a  blanket,  Green  rolled  over  so 
that  his  hands,  fastened  with  buck-skin  straps,  came  in  con- 
tact with  Langum's  lace,  who  seeming  to  comprehend  his 
companion's  intention,  worked  away  with  his  teeth  till  he 
succeeded  in  unfastening  the  knot.  Green  was  now  able 
to  reach  his  pocket,  containing  a  knife,  with  which  he 
severed  the  remaining  cords,  and  those  of  Langum.  lie 
then  whispered  to  Langum  to  be  ready  to  jump  up  and  run 
wlu-n  he  should  set  the  example.  Green  was  above  the 
ordinarv  size,  strong  and  athletic.  The  guard  who  had 
special  watch  of  them,  was  in  a  sitting  posture,  with  his 
head  resting  upon  his  knees,  and  had  fallen  asleep.  Mak- 
nig  a  sudden  leap,  Green  knocked  the  sentinel  over,  and 
tried  to  snatch  his  gun  from  him  ;  but  the  latter  caught  th^ 
skirt  of  the  fleeing  man's  coat,  and  Green  had  to  make  a 


*  Gordon's  W;«*riVo«  Revolution,  iii,  pp.  466-67. 


ill  J^ 


^.^11 


r;-^' 


354 


A'/XUS  MOUNTAIN 


second  clVort  before  he  could  release  bimself  from  the  sol- 
dier's grasp,  and  gladly  got  otl'wilh  the  loss  of  a  part  of  his 
garrrient.  In  another  moment  both  Green  and  Langum 
were  dashing  down  a  declivit}',  and  though  several  shot:? 
were  lired  at  them,  they  escaped  unhurt,  and  w^ere  soon, 
beyond  the  reach  of  their  pursuers.  Aided  by  the  friendly 
wilderness,  and  svmnalliizing  Loyalists,  thev  in  time  reached 
their  old  region  of  liuHalo  creek,  in  now  Cleveland  County, 
Green  at  least  renouncing  his  brief,  sad  experience  in  the 
Tory  service,  joined  the  Whigs,  and  battled  manfully  there- 
after for  his  country.  Both  Green  and  Langum  long  sur- 
vived the  war,  and  were  very  worthy  people.  * 

Allaire  records  an  incident,  involving,  if  correctly  reported, 
rash  treatment  on  the  part  of  Colonel  Cleveland  towards 
Doctor  Johnson,  whose  benevolent  acts,  it  would  be  sup- 
posed, would  have  commanded  the  respectful  attention  of  all  : 
'•November  the  first,'"  writes  Lieutenant  Allaire,  "Doctor 
Joimson  was  insulted  and  knocked  down  by  Colonel  Cleve- 
land, for  attempting  to  dress  the  wounds  of  a  man  whom 
the  Rebels  had  cut  on  the  march.  The  Rebel  oflicers 
w(  uld  often  go  in  amongst  the  prisoners,  draw  their  swords, 
cut  and  wound  whom  their  wicked  and  savage  minds 
pr(.)mpted."  \  There  must  have  been  something  unex- 
plained in  Doctor  Johnson's  conduct — the  motive  is  wanting 
for  an  act  so  unotlicer-like  as  that  imputed  to  Colonel  Cleve- 
land. While  it  is  conceded  tluit  he  was  a  rough  frontier 
man,  and  particularly  inimical  to  thiexing  and  murderous 
T(.)ries,  vet  he  was  kind-hearted,  and  his  sympathies 
as  responsive  to  misfortune  as  those  of  the  tenderest 
woman.  The  same  da}-.  Colonel  Cleveland  was  relieved 
of  his  command  by  C(jlonel  Martin  Armstrong,  his  superior 


*  MS.  Deposition  of  Colonel  \Vm.  Porter,  1S14.  kindly  communicated  by  Hon.  W.  P. 
Bynnni  ;  MS.  letters  of  Jonathan  Hampton  and  Colonel  J  K.  Logan,  the  latter  giving  the 
recollections  of  the  venerable  Janie;;  Pilanton.  nciv  eighty-two  years  of  age.  who  was  well 
acqnainteil  with  both  dreen  and  Lanqutn;  statements  of  Benjamin  Higgerstaff  and  J.  W. 
Ureen.  furnished  by  \V.  L.  Twitty.  Some  of  the  traditions  represent  Langum's  name  as 
l.ankfird. 

t  Allaire's  MS,  Diary,  and  his  newspaper  narrative. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


355 


in  rank,  as  well  as  the  local  commandant  of  Surry  County, 
where  the  troops  and  prisoners  then  were. 

The  British  officers  had  been  expecting  to  be  paroled. 
Colonel  Cleveland's  remark  to  them,  at  Green's  trial,  would 
seem  to  indicate  the  early  anticipation  of  such  an  event. 
"After  we  were  in  the  Moravian  town  about  a  fortnight," 
says  Allaire,  "  we  were  told  we  could  not  get  paroles  to 
return  within  the  British  lines  ;  neither  were  we  to  have  any 
till  we  were  moved  over  the  mountains  in  the  back  parts  of 
Virginia,  where  we  were  to  live  on  hoe-cake  and  milk." 
Large  liberties  had  been  accorded  the  officers,  to  enable 
them  to  while  away  the  tedium  of  captivity :  so  that  they 
sometimes  visited  the  neighboring  Moravian  settlements,  or 
dined  at  their  friends,  in  the  country-. 

When  Lieutenants  Taylor,  Stevenson,  and  Allaire 
lea;-ned  tliat  there  was  no  immediate  prospect  of  their 
receiving  paroles,  they  concluded  that  the}'  would  "  rather 
trust  the  hand  of  fate,"  as  Allaire  states  it  in  his  narrative, 
and  make  a  desperate  etTort  to  reach  their  friends — taking 
French  leave  of  their  American  captors.  Accordingly,  on 
Sunday  evening,  about  six  o'clock,  the  fifth  of  November, 
they  quieUy  decamped,  taking  Captain  William  Gist,  of  the 
Soutli  Carolina  Loyalists,  with  them;  traveling  fifteen 
miles  that  night  to  the  Yadkin,  the  fording  of  which  they 
found  very  disagreeable,  and  pushed  on  twenty  miles 
farther  before  daylight.  Though  pursued,  the  Whigs  were 
misled  by  false  intelligence  from  Tory  sources,  and  soon 
gave  up  tlie  chase. 

Traveling  by  night,  and  resting  by  day ;  sometimes 
sleeping  in  fodder-houses,  oftener  in  the  woods ;  with 
snatches  of  food  at  times — hoe-cake  and  dried  beef  on  one 
occasion — supplied  bv  sympathizing  friends  by  the  way ; 
encountering  cold  rain  storms,  and  fording  streams  ;  guided 
some  of  the  wear}-  journey  by  Loya'.st  pilots,  and  sometimes 
following  such  directions  as  they  could  get ;  passing  over  the 
Brushy  Mountain,  crossing  the  Upper  Catawba,  thence  over 


•fez:. 


mm 


350 


K/NG  'S  MO  UNTA  TN 


the  country  to  Camp's  Ford  of  second  Broad  river,  the 
Island  Ford  of  Main  iJroad,  and  the  old  Iron  Works 
of  Pacolet ;  barely  escaping  Sumter's  corps  at  Black- 
stock's  on  Tyger,  they  at  length  reached  Ninety  Six,  the 
eighteenth  day  after  taking  their  leave  of  Bethabara, 
traveling,  ds  t'oe}'  accounted  distance,  three  hundred  miles. 
These  resolute  adventurers  suffered  imspeakable  fatigues 
and  privations,  but  successfully  accomplished  the  object  of 
all  their  toils  and  self-denials.  After  resting  a  day  at  Ninety 
Six,  the}'  pursued  their  journey  to  Charleston. 


Mll«illHT' 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


357 


CHAPTER    XVI 


October— December,  1780. 


Disposition  of  Kini^'s  Afounfain  Prisoners. — Proposition  to  Enlist  them. 
— Ncfdcii for  Exchange. —  Congress  Refers  the  Matter  to  the  States 
where  the  Prisoners  Belong. — How  they  Dwindled  Away. —  Colonel 
Armstrong  lUamed. — Remnant  Confined  at  Salisbury. — DePeysier 
and  Ryerson  Paroled. — A  Plucky  Band  of  Whigs  Scare  a  large 
Tory  Party. —  Tarleton  Frustrates  Cormuallis  Design  of  Relieving 
Ferguson. — Intercipting  Ferguson's  Messengers. —  Tarleton  at 
Length  in  Motion. — His  Instructions. — Effect  of  King's  Mountain 
Victory. — Ewin  and  Barry  Alarm  the  Neutrals,  and  they  Alarm 
Cornwallis. —  Crowing  of  David  Kno.v. — Cornwallis  flees  to  South 
Carolina,  with  the  Imaginary  Mountaineers  in  Pursuit. — A  Tricky 
Guide  Misleading  the  Retiring  Troops. — A  Panic. — Illness  of  Corn- 
wallis.— Sickness  and  Fatality  among  the  Troops. — Privations  and 
Sufferings  of  the  Retrograders. — Aid  Rendered  by  the  Tories. — 
Ninety  Six:  Safe. — Cornwallis  Threatens  Retaliation  for  Execution 
of  King's  Mountain  Prisoners. — Gates  and  Randall  on  the  Situa- 
tion.—  The  Question  Ml  by  General  Greene. —  Cornwallis  Drops  the 
Matter. —  Case  of  Adam  Cusack. —  The  Widoivs  and  Orphans  of 
Ninety  Six  District. — Good  Words  for  King's  Mountain  Victory. — 
Gates  Thanks  the  Victors. —  Washington  Takes  Courage. — Resolves 
of  Congress. — Greene  and  Lee  Commend  the  Mountaineers. — Tossing, 
Bancroft,  and  Ir^'tw^  on  the  Result. —  The  British  Leaders  Recognise 
the  Disastrous  Effects  of  Ferguson's  Miscarriage.—  Gates  and  Jef- 
ferson's Encomiums. — King's  Mountain  Paves  the  Way  for  York- 
town  and  Independence. 

General  Gates,  on  the  twelfth  of  October,  at  llillsboro, 
received  the  joyous  intelligence  of  the  victory  of  King's 
Moiinlain ;  and  wrote  the  next  da}-  to  Colonel  William 
Preston,  near  Fort  Chiswell,  or  the  Lead  Mines,  in  the 
Virginia  Valle\',  appointing  him  to  prepare  barracks  or 
other  works  for  the  reception  of  the  prisoners,  and  to  take 
the  superintendency  of  them,  believing  that  locality  a  safe 


358 


K/iYG'S  MOUNTAIN 


ii| 


quarter,  and  where  the  necessary  ■^applies  could  be  obtained 
for  their  support.  Colonel  Preston  assured  General  Gates 
that  the  Lead  Mines  would  be  an  unsafe  place  for  the  pris- 
oners, as  there  were  more  Tories  in  that  Count}-,  Montgom- 
ery, than  any  other  known  to  him  in  Virginia  ;  he  urged, 
besides,  the  further  objection  of  its  proximity  to  Surr^-  and 
other  disaflected  regions  in  North  Carolina,  and  the  inimi- 
cal Clierokees  to  the  south-west.  He,  therefore,  suggested 
the  County  of  Botetourt,  liigher  up  the  Valky,  as  more 
suitable,  and  William  ?.fadison  as  a  proper  and  younger 
person  to  undertake  the  service.* 

It  would  seem  that  General  Gates  balanced  between  two 
modes  of  disposing  of  the  prisoners — one,  to  place  them 
where  they  would  be  secure  from  rescue,  "■  to  be  ready  for 
exchange  for  our  valuable  citizens  in  the  enemy's  hands  ;" 
the  other,  a  suggesti(jn  of  Colonel  Campbell,  to  send  them 
to  the  North,  and  incorporate  them  with  the  army  under 
General  Washington.  Colonel  Campbell  was  the  bearer 
of  General  Gates'  dispatches  on  the  subject  to  Governor 
Jefl'erson,  at  Richmond,  who  finally  referred  the  whole 
matter  to  Congress. f  That  body,  on  the  twentieth  of  Nov- 
ember, recommended  to  Governor  Jefl'erson  to  cause  the 
King's  Mountain  prisoners  to  be  secured  in  such  manner 
and  places  as  he  might  judge  proper:  "That  a  list  <->{  the 
names  of  the  Tory  prisoners  be  taken,  distinguishing  the 
States,  County  or  District  to  which  they  severally  belong, 
and  transmitted  to  the  Executives  of  their  several  States, 
who  are  requested  to  take  such  order  respecting  them  as  the 
public  securit}-,  and  the  laws  of  the  respective  States  may 
require."  X 

But  various  circumstances  combined  to  render  all  such 
arrangements  of  no  avail.  Starting  from  King's  Mountain 
with    not    to    exceed    six  hundred  prisoners,    they   rapidly 

'•'MS.  letter  of  Gates  to  Preston,  O.nober  13,  and  of  Preston  to  Gates,  October  27,  1780; 
Jefferson's  Works,  i,  273. 

T  MS.  letter  of  Linna;us  Smith  10  General  Francis  Preston,  July  19,  1823. 
J  Journals  of  Congress,  1780,  vi,  374, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


359 


dwindled  away  ;  tlie  paroles  of  somt"  of  tlaem  commenced 
the  second  day  after  the  battle  ;  *  one  hundred,  Allaire  tells 
us,  escaped  durini,^  the  march  the  stormy  day,  and  part 
of  the  niyhl,  before'  reaching-  the  C^iaker  ^^eado\vs  ;  half  a 
dozen  at  another  time  ;  Allaire  and  three  associates  escaping" 
as  already  related,  and  still  later  sixteen  soldiers  succeeded 
in  getting  away  from  the  guard  at  Bcthabara,  f  while 
doubdess  many  others  evaded  the  vigilance  of  their  guards 
(jf  which  we  have  no  record.  According  to  the  Moravian 
accounts,  there  were  never  more  than  three  hundred  prison- 
ers at  Bethabara,  fifty  of  whom  were  of  Ferguson's 
Provincial  corps,  and  five  hundred  Whigs  to  guard  them, 
who  remained  at  that  place  nineteen  days,  till  all  the 
provisions  were  consumed.  X  Prior  to  the  seventh  of 
November,  one  hundred  and  eightA'-eight,  who  were  inhabit- 
ants of  the  western  coimtry  of  North  Carolina,  were  taken 
out  of  Colonel  Armstrong's  charge  by  the  civil  authorities, 
and  bound  over,  §  inferenliall}'  for  their  appearance  at  court, 
or  for  their  good  behavior;  some  were  dismissed,  some 
paroled,  but  most  of  them  enlisted — some  in  the  three 
months'  militia  service,  others  in  the  North  Carolina 
Continentals,  and  others  still  in  the  ten  months'  men  under 
Sumter.  So  evident  was  it  to  General  Gates,  that  neither 
the  military  nor  civil  ofFicers  of  North  Carolina  had  any 
authority  over  these  prisoners,  many  of  whom  had  been 
almost  constantly  in  arms  against  their  country  since  the 
surrender  of  Charleston,  that  he  remonstrated  with  the 
State  Board  of  War  at  Salisbury  ;  and  Colonel  Armstrong 
was  made  to  answer  for  the  injiu'v  thus  done  to  the 
American  cause.  The  remaining  prisoners  were  then 
marched  under  a  strong  guard  to  Ilillsboro.  || 


'•■MS.  parole  of  Dennis  McDiifT  by  Cnptain  George  I,e<'better,  October  9th,  1780, 
preserved  by  Hon.  W.  P.  Byniim. 

t  Colonel  Armstrong  to  Gen.  Gates.  November  nth,  1780.  among  the  Gates  Papers  in 
the  New  York  Historical  Society. 

IReichel's  Moravians  in  IVorth  Carolina,  pp.  92-93. 

Ji  Colonel  Armstrong  to  Gen   Gates,  November  7th  and  nth,  1780, 

l{  burk's  History  0/  Virginia,  iv,  410. 


; 


'•*j; 


1:  ^„.a 


860 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Incliuliiii;  till'  Provincials,  only  about  one  luiiulrcil  and 
thirty  captives  remained  ;  and  General  Greene,  when  he 
took  llu-  command  of  the  Southern  department,  early  in 
December,  lami-nted  the  loss  of  so  many  of  the  Kind's 
Mountain  ]irisoiUMs,  who,  had  they  been  retaini'd,  woulil 
have  hiH-n  the  means  of  restoring'  to  the  service  many  a  noble 
soldier  lan^^uishiujr  in  nrilish  prisons;  nor  was  he  without 
suspicions  of  something  more  than  folly  on  tin-  part  of  those 
who  hatl  taki'U  such  liberties  to  dispose  of  llu'in.  *  'i'he 
jail  and  a  lo<^  house  near  it,  at  Salisbury,  wire  ordered  by 
General  Greene  to  be  picketed  in,  fur  the  reception  of  the 
renuiininjjf  prisoners,  w  ho  were  directed  to  erect  huts  within 
the  pickets,  f  fur  their  use  as  cooking  and  sleeping  apart- 
ments. "  The  North  Carolina  government,"  wrote  Colonel 
Henry  Lee  to  General  Wayne,  January  seventh,  1781, 
"has  in  a  great  degree  baOled  thi"  fruits  of  that  victory. 
The  Tories  captureil  were  enlisted  into  the  militia  or  draft 
service,  and  ha\e  all  rejoined  the  British  ;  I  heard  General 
Greene  say,  yeslerda\',  that  his  last  return  made  out  sixty  in 
jail,  and  his  intelligence  from  the  enemy  declares  that  two 
hinidred  ot"  them  were  actuall}-  in  arms  against  us.";];  In 
Februar\-  ensuing.  Captains  UePeyster  and  R}erson  were 
paroled  to  Charleston,  and  iound  on  their  arri\al  that  they 
were  already  exchanged.  S 

A  singular  incident  occurred,  in  connection  with  the 
King's  ]\rountain  campaign,  Uiat  shows  what,  with  pluck 
and  bravery,  a  few  fearless  men  may  accomplish.  Fergu- 
son, it  will  be  remembered,  had  tbraging,  and  perhaps 
recruiting,  parties  out — under  Colonel  John  Moore,  Major 
Zachariah  Gibbs,  and,  ver_v  likel3%  odiers.  One  of  these 
parlies,  estimated  at  above  two  hundred  and  fifty,  though 
probabl)-  not  so  numerous,  encamped  a  night  or  two  pre- 


■^'fircene  to  Washiriijton,  December  7th,  1780. 
h  Oreene's  Li/e  of  Greene,  iii,  pp.  78-79. 

\  Li/c  of  Gen.  Henry  l.ee,  by  R.   K.   I.ce,   |ii;ifi.\ecl  to  Lee's  Memoirs,  revised  edition, 
1872,  p.  33. 

^Captain  Ryerson's  statement  in  the    Royal  Gtisel.'e,  Charleston,  Oetober   27ih,  1781. 


i     i 


AND   ITS  HEROES, 


30)1 


cedinj^  tlu>  li;iUli',  at  a  sihool-liousi',  near  Ilolluij^^swortirs 
mill,  on  Ijiown's  civt'k,  in  now  I'nion  CounlN',  South 
Carolina,  some  t\vcnly-ll\o  miles  south  of  Kin^r's  INhtuntain. 
Their  cam]-)  was  on  a  lii<fh  hill,  thickly  covered  with  lirnhi-r. 

A  small  iiarty  of  eight  or  t(.n  Whigs,  who  wi-re  lurking 
about  till'  thickets  along  l>rown"s  creek,  with  a  \irw  of 
gaining  intelligence  concerning  l)oth  frii'iuls  and  foes, 
chanced  to  capture  a  solitary  'J^)rv,  from  whom  tiiey 
leanu'd  d'  the  design  of  this  large  party  of  foragers  to  biv- 
ouac that  night  at  the  school-house  near  Hollingsworth's. 
Ready  for  adventiu'e,  the  pluck \-  Whigs,  though  so  few  in 
number  compared  w  ilh  their  adversaries,  thought  the\'  might 
gain  by  strategy  what  they  could  not  accomplisli  b\  main 
strength  ;  and  conchuU'd  to  make  an  ellort  to  gi\e  the  'I'ory 
camp,  at  least,  a  first-rate  scare.  "^I'hey  accordingly  arranged 
their  plan  of  proceedings,  which  was  natural  and  simple. 
Some  time  after  dark  they  approached  the  enemy's  camp — 
spread  themsi-lves  in  open  orcU-r,  arounil  the  hill,  at  some 
distance  from  each  other,  with  the  undtn'standinu;  that  thev 
would  advance  till  hailed  by  the  sendnels,  then  lie  down  till 
tlie  guards  llred,  when  they  would  arise  and  rush  towards 
the  camp,  liring  and  shouting  as  best  they  could. 

The}'  moved  forward  with  great  caution.  llie  Tor}' 
camp-tires  threw  a  glaring  light  towards  the  canopy  of 
heaven,  and  lit  up  the  forest  far  and  near.  All  was  joy  and 
gladness  in  the  camp.  The  jovial  song,  and  merry  laugh, 
indicated  to  the  approaching  Whigs  that  good  cheer 
abounded  in  the  camp  among  the  friends  of  King  George. 
In  a  moment  all  this  was  suddenly  changed — the  sentinels 
hailed — then  tluy  lired,  when  an  imseen  foe  ruslu-d  on 
dirough  the  woods,  yelling  and  screaming  at  the  top  of 
their  \()ices — ^and  bang!  bang  I  belched  forth  their  rilles  in 
quick  succession.  The  poor  Tories  were  taken  completely 
b\'  surprise — a  panic  ensued  ;  and  crying  "mercy  !  merc}'  I '' 
they  dashed  tluough  the  bushes  down  the  hill  at  their  very 
best  speed.  A  frightened  Tory  was  proverbially  latnous  in 
such  a  race. 


if-  i\ 


i 


111 


^"^^•"■w 


a-  -  k . 


! 


3(;j 


A'/.VG'S  MOUNTAIN 


The  victorious  \Vhi<^s  came  into  tho  camp  one  after 
another,  and  peered  into  die  darkness,  but  could  only  hear 
the  retrealin;^  toragers  darting  through  the  woods  ;  tlie  noise 
growing  fainter  at  each  successive  tnomiMil ;  wliiU'  the 
skechiddlers,  poor  souls,  were  congratulating  themselves  (m 
their  fortunate  escape  from  a  formidable  partv  of  Rebels,  led 
on,  it  might  be,  bv  the  untiring  Sumter,  or  such  a  Tory-hater 
as  Tom  Hrandon,  of  Fair  Fori'st.  The  Whiles  had  now 
gained  full  possession  of  the  camp,  with  none  to  dispute 
their  victory.  Forage  wagons  were  standing  hither  and 
thither,  horses  hitchetl  to  them  and  to  the  surrounding  trees, 
guns  stacked,  cooking  utensils  lying  about  the  lires,  with 
hats,  caps,  and  articles  of  clothing  scattered  in  wild 
confusion. 

Till  ihe  grev  twilight  streaked  the  eastern  sky  on  tlie 
following  morning,  the  little  patriot  band  kept  close  guard, 
expecting  the  mtjmentar}-  return  of  the  campers ;  but 
nothing  of  the  kind  transpired.  The  sun  rose  bright!}',  and 
mounted  high  above  the  hills,  and  still  no  report  from  the 
fugitives.  ^Vhat  shoidd  be  done  with  the  horses,  arms, 
baggage  and  baggage-wagons,  was  now  discussed  by  the 
fearless  captors.  They  transported  them  from  the  camp, 
around  the  liill  to  a  secluded  spot,  and  maintained  a  strict 
watch  over  their  new  quarters,  and  the  property  thev  had 
so  adr'iilly  captured.  It  must  have  been  the  day  succeed- 
ing Ferguson's  defeat,  that  one  of  the  men  on  guard 
discovert'd  a  party  of  a  dozen  u"  fifteen  horsemen  rapidly 
approaching.  It  was  thouglit  to  be  the  van  of  an  arniv' — 
perhaps  Ferguson's — coming  to  recover  the  spoils;  but  the 
brave  Whigs  who  had  made  the  successful  capture,  and 
had  guarded  the  plunder  with  so  much  vigilance,  resolved 
to  test  the  matter. 

The}'  boldly  advanced  in  a  body,  hailed  the  vanguard, 
while  their  horses  were  drinking  at  the  creek.  I^ut  the 
horsemen  responded  onl}-  by  a  confused  Right ;  and  upon 
them    the    patriots    discharged  their  rilles,  vvhich  disabled 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


8fi:l 


one  of  their  horses,  so  that  liis  rider  surrendered  in  dismay. 
From  him  the  Whigs  learned  that  his  party  was  just  from 
King's  Mountain — prohahly  the  l^and  who  had  returned 
from  a  foray, and  liri'd  upon  thi*  niountainci'rs  at  the  close  of 
the  action,  inorlallv  wounchiiif  Coh)nc"l  Wilhanis — ami  were 
now  making  the  hest  of  their  wa}'  to  tlu-ir  respective  homes, 
or  to  Ninety  Six,  having  in  view  no  other  object  than  their 
personal  safety.  Learning  of  Ferguson's  total  defeat,  tlu' 
Whig  heroes  now  ventureil  to  leave  their  secluded  camp, 
and  gather  a  party  to  convey  away  the  spoils  of  war  to  a 
place  of  safety,  where  they  and  their  rViends  couhl  divide 
and  enjoy  them.  * 

Lord  Cornwallis'  fine  schemes  of  North  Carolina  and 
Virginia  concpiest,  were  destined  to  a  speedy  disappoint- 
ment. Awaiting  at  Charlotte,  for  the  reception  of  supplies, 
and  the  return  of  the  healthful  season,  to  prosecute  his 
military  enterprise,  he  had  reluctantly  yielded  t(*  the  per- 
suasions of  Colonel  Ferguson  to  make  an  excursion  into  the 
western  borders  of  North  Carolina,  to  encourage  tlie  friends 
of  the  Government  in  that  quarter.  Though  Ferguson 
gave  Cornwallis  the  assurance  that  his  trained  militia  could 
be  trusted,  yet  his  Lordsliip  had  serious  doubts  on  that  head, 
declaring  that  Fergust)n*s  "own  experience,  as  well  as  that 
of  every  other  oiliccr,  was  totally  against  him  ;"  but,  in  con- 
sequence of  Ferguson's  entreaties,  backed  with  the  earnest 
advice  of  Colonel  Tarleton,  the  expedition  was  undertaken, 
Ferguson  promising  to  return  should  he  hear  of  any  superior 
force  approaching  him. 

Co.nwallis,  failing  for  some  time  to  receive  any  definite 
informaUon  from  Ferguson,  evidently  commenced  to  feel 
anxious  concerninir  his  situation.  In  the  VlrQi'iiia  Gazette, 
of  October  eleventh,  1780,  we  find  among  the  latest  items  of 
intelligence  trom  the  southward,  one  to  the  eflect  that  "  on 
the  thirtieth  of  September,  about  eight  hundred  of  the  enemy, 
with  two  field  pieces,  were  on  their  march,  three  miles  in 


^Sayc's  Mfntoir  o/  Mijunkin^ 


Bi 


364 


A'/NG'S  MOCXT.UX 


\  V 


acVance  from  Cliarlotte,  on  tlio  I'oad  lcadin«^  to  Bcattie's 
Ford,  on  Catawba  river,  supposed  to  be  intended  to  support 
Major  Feru^uson,  wlio  \v;is,  with  a  party,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood ol' Durke  Court  House."" 

If  a  rehet"  force  was  sent  at  all,  it  was  not  pushed  far 
enough  forward  to  aeconiplish  the  purpose.  Tarleton's  ill- 
ness of  a  fe\er — yi'llow  fever,  as  Major  Hanger  terms  it — 
may  have  caused  procrastination.  *'  Tarleton  is  belter,"' 
wrote  Lord  Cornwallis  to  Ferguson  on  the  twenty-third  of 
September.  As  he  recovered,  he  was  pressed  to  engage  in 
this  service,  but  found  excuses  for  not  undertaking  it.  "  My 
not  sending  relief  to  Ferguson,"  observed  Lord  Cornwal'is, 
"although  he  was  positively  ordered  to  retire,  was  entirely 
owing  to  Tarleton  himself;  lie  pleaded  weakness  from  the 
remains  of  a  fever,  and  refused  to  make  the  attempt, 
although  T  used  the  most  earnest  entreaties."  * 

Tarleton  informs  us,  that  the  County  of  Mecklenburg,  in 
which  Charlotte  was  situated,  and  the  adjoining  Countv  of 
Rowan,  were  more  hostile  to  England  than  any  other  por- 
tion of  America;  that  so  vigilant  were  the  Whig  troops  and 
people  of  that  region,  that  "  very  few,  out  of  a  great  number 
of  messengers,  could  reach  Charlotte,  in  the  beginning  of 
October,  to  give  intelligence  of  Ferguson's  situation."  At 
length  Cornwallis  received  confused  reports  of  Ferguson's 
misca'-riage.  lie  dispatched  Tarleton  on  the  tenth  of  that 
month,  with  his  Light  Infantry,  the  British  Legion,  and  a 
three-pounder,  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  Ferguson,  as  no 
certain  intelligence  had  arrived  of  his  defeat :  though  it 
was  rumored,  with  much  contidence,  by  the  Americans  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Charlotte,  Tarleton's  instructions 
were  to  re-inforce  Ferguson  wherever  he  could  iind  him, 
and  to  thaw  his  corps  to  the  Catawba,  if,  after  the  junction, 
advantage  could  not  be  obtained  over  the  mountaineers  j  or, 
upon  the  certaint}'  of  his  defeat,  at  all  events  to  oppose  the 
entrance  of  the  victorious  Americans  into  South  Carolina — • 


*  Cornwallis'  Comspundtnct,  1,59. 


.  I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


365 


m 


fearing     they    might    seriously    threaten   Ninety    Six   and 
Auiifusta.* 

The  elTect  of  King's  "Mountain  battle  on  the  Tories  ol' 
the  country,  and  on  Lord  Cornwallis  and  liis  oflieers  at 
Charlotte,  may  be  best  interred  from  actual  facts  explana- 
tory of  the  matter.  Robert  Ilemy,  who  had  been  so  j-)ain- 
fully  transfixed  in  a  I^ritish  charge  on  Chronicle's  men,  was 
conveyed  to  his  home  on  the  South  Fork,  a  few  miles  of 
the  way  on  Saturday  evening  after  the  battle,  and  the 
remainder  on  Sunday,  Hugh  Ewin  and  Andrew  Barry,  two 
of  his  brave  companions,  acting  as  his  escort.  On  Monday 
morning  these  two  friends  came  to  see  him,  and  learned  the 
happy  elTects  of  a  poultice  of  wet,  warm  ashes,  applied  to 
his  wounds  by  his  good  mother.  While  there,  several 
neutrals,  as  they  termed  themselves,  but  really  Tories  in 
disguise,  called  to  learn  the  news  of  the  battle,  when  the 
following  dialogue  took  place  between  them  and  Ewin  and 
Barry  : 

'•  Is  it  certain,"  inquired  one  of  the  Tories,  "that  Colonel 
Ferguson  is  really  killed,  and  his  army  defeated  and  taken 
prisoners?" 

"  Yes,  it  is  certain,"  replied  the  Whigs,    "for  we   sav» 
Ferguson  after  he  was  dead,   and  his   army  prisoners  of 
war." 

"  ITow  many  men  had  Ferguson?" 

"  Nearly,  but  not  quite,  twelve  hundred,"  was  the  reply. 

"Where,"  asked  the  Tories,  "did  the  Whigs  get  men 
enough  to  defeat  him?" 

"They  had,"  responded  the  patriots,  "  the  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia  refugees.  Colonel  Graham's  Lincoln  County 
men,  some  froiii  Virginia,  some  from  tiie  head  of  the  Yad- 
kin, some  from  the  head  of  the  Catawba,  some  from  oxer 
the  mountains,  and  some  pretty  much  from  every whrre.'' 

"  T«-'ll  us,"  eagerly  inquired  the  neutrals,  "how  it  hap- 
pened, and  all  about  it." 

*  Tarlclon's  Cumpiiigns,  pp.  i6o,  i6i.  165. 


i 


3C6 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


i1 


till 


I 


'•"Well,"  said  Ewin  and  Barry,  "we  met  near  Gilbert 
Town,  and  found  that  the  foot  troops  could  not  overtake  Fer- 
guson, and  we  took  between  six  and  seven  hundred  horse- 
men, leaving  as  many  or  more  footmen  to  follow  ;  and  we 
overtook  Ferguson  at  King's  Mountain,  where  we  sur- 
rounded and  defeated  him." 

"  Ah  I "  said  one  of  the  Tories,  "that  will  not  do — 
between  six  and  seven  hundred  surrounding  nearly  twelve 
hundred.  It  would  have  taken  more  than  two  thousand  to 
surround  and  take  Colonel  Ferguson." 

"  But,"  responded  the  Whigs,  "we  were  all  of  us  blue 
hens'  chickens — real  fighters,  and  no  mistake." 

"There  must  have  been,"  said  the  Tories,  "  of  your 
foot  and  horse  over  four  thousand  in  all.  We  see  what  you 
are  about — that  j'our  aim  is  to  catch  Lord  Cornwallis 
napping." 

Thus  ended  the  dialogue,  not  more  than  two  hours  after 
sunrise  on  Monday,  the  ninth  of  October ;  and  the  neutrals 
or  Tories  quickl}'  took  their  departure.  It  was  reported 
that  they  immediately  swam  a  horse  across  the  swollen 
Catavvba.  bv  the  side  of  a  canoe,  and  hastened  to  give  Lord 
Cornwallis  the  earliest  news  of  Ferguson's  defeat. 

As  soon  as  the  intelligence  reached  Charlotte,  it  produced 
a  great  excitement  among  all  classes. 

"  Iriave  you  heard  the  news,"  inquired  one  ofiicer,  of 
the  guard? 

"  No,  what  news?" 

"Why,"  said  the  Hrst,  "  Colonel  Ferguson  is  killed,  and 
his  whole  army  defeated  and  taken  prisoners." 

"  How  can  that  be,"  said  the  doubter — "  where  did  the 
men  come  trom  to  accomplish  such  a  feat?" 

"Some  of  them."  replied  the  man  of  news,  "were 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  refugees,  some  from  Virginia, 
some  from  the  heads  of  the  Yadkin  and  Catawba,  some  from 
over  the  mountains,  and  some  from  everywhere.  They 
met  at  or  near  Gilbert  Town,  about  two  thousand  despera- 


!! 


AND  ITS  HEROLS. 


367 


does  on  horseback,  calling  themselvc  blue  hens"  ciiickens  ; 
and  started  in  pursuit  of  Ferguson,  having  as  many  foot- 
men to  follow.  They  overtook  Ferguson  at  a  place  called 
King's  Mountain,  where  thev  surrounded  his  army,  killed 
that  gallant ollicer,  defeateii  his  men,  and  took  the  survivors 
prisoners." 

"Can  this  be  true?"  despondingly  inquired  the  Ih-st 
oiFicer. 

"  As  true  as  the  gospel,"  replied  the  other;  "and  we 
may  look  t)ut  lor  breakers." 

"  God  bless  us  I  "  ejaculated   the  dejected  officer  of  the 


guard. 


Da\id  Knox,  a  kinsman  of  President  Polk,  who  was  a 
prisoner,  but  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  the  town,  a  man  full 
of  fun  and  frolic,  hearing  this  colloquy,  jumped  upon  a  pile 
of  fire-wood  beside  the  street,  slapped  his  hands  and  thighs, 
and  crowed  like  a  rooster,  exclaiming.  Day  is  at  hand!  * 

It  was  accounts  like  these,  largely  colored  and  exagger- 
ated by  the  fear-stricken  Tories,  that  reached  Cornwallis' 
ears,  and  so  alarmed  him  that  he  sent  out  Tarleton  to  aid 
Ferguson,  if  yet  in  a  condition  to  be  relieved,  and  finally 
induced  his  Lordship  to  depart  iw  hot  haste  from  Charlotte, 
with  all  his  army.  Tarleton  proceeded  a  south-westerly 
course,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  to  Smith's  Ford,  below  the 
Forks  of  the  Catawba,  where  he  received  certain  intelli- 
gence of  tlie  melancholy  fate  of  Ferguson,  and  crossed  the 
ri\'er  "to  give  protection  "  as  he  says,  "to  the  fugitives," — 
a  small  number  of  whom,  he  adds,  his  light  troops  picked 
up,  all  of  which  must  have  been  the  result  of  his  vi-.id 
imagination. 

At  length,  while  Tarleton  was  absent,  Cornwallis  re- 
ceived definite  information  of  Ferguson's  downfall ;  and 
Tarleton  gives  a  sombre  picture  of  the  unhappy  influence 
it  exerted  upon    both    the  British  and  Tories.     "Added," 

*  MS.  niirralivc  of  Rnherl  Henry,  \vlio  licaril  the  ili.ilomie  between  the  ncntrals  and 
Kwin  and  liarry,  and  had  the  particulars  of  the  interview  of  the  British  otTicers,  from  David 
Knox  liimself. 


•^111 


iM. 


! 

^ 


368 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


he  saj'S,  "to  the  depression  and  fear  it  coiiimiinicatod  totlio 
Loyalists  upon  the  borders,  and  to  the  southward,  the  etlect 
ot'  such  an  important  event  was  sensibly  felt  by  Lord 
Cornwallis  at  Charlotte  Town.  The  weakness  of  his  army, 
the  extent  and  poverty  of  North  Carolina,  tlie  want  of 
knowledge  of  his  enemy's  designs,  and  the  total  ruin  of  his 
militia,  presented  a  gloomy  jirost^<'ct  at  the  commencement 
ot  the  camjiaign.  A  farther  progress  by  the  route  which 
he  liad  undertaken,  could  not  possibly  remove,  but  would 
undoubtedly  increase  his  didlculties  ;  he,  therefore,  formed 
a  sudden  determination  to  quit  Cluirlotte  Town,  and  pass 
the  Catawba  river.  The  army  was  ordered  to  move,  and 
expresses  were  dispatched  to  recall  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Tarleton."  * 

About  sunset,  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth  of  Octo- 
ber, the  British  army  took  up  its  line  of  march  towards 
the  Old  Nation  Ford  on  the  Catawba.  They  had  lor  a 
guitle  William  McCaflerty,  an  Irishman,  who  had  for 
several  years  been  a  merchant  at  Charlotte ;  remaining 
there  when  the  enemy  came,  endeavoring  to  save  his 
property;  but  whatever  were  his  professions  to  the  British, 
he  phiNcd  his  new  friends  a  sharp  trick — a  shabby  one,  no 
doubt,  in  their  estimation.  About  two  miles  below  Char- 
lotte, he  led  them  on  a  wrong  road  towards  Park's,  since 
Barnett's  mill ;  he  at  length  suggested  that  they  must  be 
out  of  the  wa}',  and  he  would  ride  a  little  to  the  left  to  get 
righted  ;  but  as  soon  as  out  of  their  sight,  lie  left  them  to 
tlieir  fate.  The}'  were  two  miles  to  the  right  of  the  road  they 
intended  to  have  taken — the  night  was  dark,  and,  being 
near  Cedar  creek,  they  were  intercepted  by  high  hills  and 
deep  ravines.  Endeavoring  to  file  to  the  lef't,  to  regain  the 
riglu  road,  tlie}-  became  separated  into  ditlerent  parties, 
and  kept  up  a  hallooing  to  learn  which  way  their  connades 
had  gone.  By  midnight  they  were  three  or  fom*  miles 
apart,  and  appeared  to  be  panic-struck,  lest  the  Americans 

"■■■Tarlctoiis  Caiii/>aigns,  166. 


wmm 


KS 

Is 


/1ND  ITS  HEROES, 


3G9 


— tlie  dreacled  mountaineers — should  come  upon  iliem  in 
their  pitiful  situation.  They  did  not  get  together  until  noon 
the  next  day,  about  seven  miles  from  Charlotte.  Owing  to 
the  difficult  passes  tln-y  took,  and  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  together  with  the  scare  that  befell  them,  the  rear 
guard  left  behind  tliem  near  twenty  wagons,  says  Tarleton 
— forty,  says  General  Graham — and  considerable  booty, 
including  a  printing  press  and  other  stores,  togeUier  with  the 
baggage  of  Tarleton's  Legion.* 

Reaching  the  Old  Nation  Ford,  the  river  was  too  high 
to  cross  with  safety.  In  consequence  of  a  dangerous  fever, 
which  suddenly  attacked  Lord  Cornwallis,  as  the  result  of 
heav}-  rains  and  severe  exposures,  and  the  want  of  forage 
and  provisions,  the  army  renuiined  two  days  in  an  anxious 
and  miserable  situation  in  the  Catawba  Indian  settlement, 
until  his  physicians  declared  that  his  Lordship's  condition 
would  (.:ndure  the  motion  of  a  wagon.  Meanwhile,  the 
treacherous  pilot,  McCalVertv,  had  hastened  to  the  Whig 
Colonel  Da\'ie's  encampment,  reaching  there  early  in 
the  mornmg,  and  communicating  the  tidings  of  the 
enemy's  retreat.  Davie,  with  his  small  squadron  of 
cavalry,  hung  upon  their  rear  and  flanks,  but  could 
gain  no  advantage  over  them.  Crossing  the  Catawba 
near  Twelve  Mile  creek,  the  army  at  length  reached 
Winnsboro,  a  distance  of  some  seventv  miles,  on  the 
twenty-ninth  of  the  month,  after  a  two  weeks'  march; 
encountering  sickness,  difficulties,  and  privations  of  the 
most  serious  character. 

Major  Hanger  relates,  that  he  and  ^wc  other  officers  had 
the  yellow  fe\-er,  as  he  terms  it,  and  were  placed  in  wagons 
when  tlie  army  evacuated  Charlotte  ;  that,  in  passing 
swollen  streams,  the  straw  on  which  they  lay  in  the 
vehicles  frequently  became  wet,  which  aggravated  their 
sickness,   and   all,  save  himself  onlv,   died   of  fatigiu'    and 


ir 


!!■■   ' 


;  I 


•General    Graham's    Revnlulio'niry    History   o/   Xnrth    CaroliniX,    in   Xort/i    Carolina, 
Vnh'frsity  Mtxgazine,  April,  1830.  pp.  loi-a  ;    rarlctun's  Caiii/'aigns,  iby 
24 


'"■JiV«»*iMl«jv«4i»; 


m  I 


r" 


i 


I 


370 


/i:/NG  'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


exposure  during  the  first  week  of  the  march,  and  were 
buried  in  the  woods,  while  the  jaded  troops  were  moving 
forward  as  rapidly  as  possible.  So  low  was  Major  Hanger 
reduced,  that  his  bones  protruded  through  his  skin,  and  his 
life  was  only  saved  by  the  use  of  opium  and  port  wine.* 

But  for  their  Tory  associates,  the  suflerings  of  the  army, 
great  as  they  were,  would  have  been  still  more  aggravated. 
For  several  days  in  succession  it  rained  without  inter- 
mission ;  the  soldiers  had  no  tents,  and  the  roads  were  over 
their  shoes  in  water  and  mud.  At  night  the  army  en- 
camped in  the  woods,  in  a  most  unhealthy  climate,  and  for 
many  days,  Stedman  adds,  the\'  were  entirely  without  rum. 
The  water  they  drank  was  frequently  as  thick  as  in  puddles 
by  the  road  side.  Sometimes  they  had  beef  and  no  bread  ; 
at  other  times  bread,  or  corn,  and  no  beef.  For  five  days 
the  troops  were  supported  upon  Indian  corn  alone,  which 
was  gathered  as  it  stood  in  the  field,  five  cars  of  which 
were  the  allowance  for  two  soldiers  for  twenty-four  hours. 
The  Tory  militia  taught  the  regulars  how  best  to  adapt  it  for 
use.  Taking  their  tin  canteens,  they  would  cut  them  up,  and 
punch  holes  through  the  strips  witli  their  bayonets,  and  then 
use  them  as  a  rasp,  or  grater,  on  which  to  grate  their  corn, 
and  prepare  it  for  cooking.  The  idea  was  communicated 
to  the  Adjutant-General,  and  afterwards  adopted  through- 
out the  army.  \ 

By  their  acquaintance  with  the  countr}'.  being  mounted 
on  '^'M'seback,  and  inured  to  the  climate,  the  Tor}'  militia 
would  go  forth  daily  inquest  of  provisions,  being  frequently 
obliged  to  pass  through  rivers,  creeks,  woods  and  swamps, 
to  secure  beef  cattle  for  the  support  of  the  army.  "With- 
out their  assistance,"  says  Stedman,  "  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  have  supplied  the  troops  in  the  field." 
Some  of  these  men,  when  a  creek  was  reached,  ditlieult, 
from  its  steep  banks,  and  its  clayey,  slippery  soil,  to  cross, 

*  Life  pf  Hanger,  ii,  pp.  408-1  r. 
f  StL'dman's  American  War,  ii,  224 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


Oi  1 


m 


would  take  tlie  place  of  the  horses,  beinj^^  harnessed  in  their 
stead,  and  dra<,f  the  wagons  through  the  stream.  Sted- 
man,  one  of  Cornwallis'  ofllcers,  gives  us  some  inklings  of 
the  treatment  of  these  Tory  benefactors  of  their  army,  bv 
the  British  oHicers;  "  We  are  sorr\'  to  say,"  observes  this 
candid  historian,  *'  that  in  retiu'n  for  these  exertions,  the 
militia  vs'ere  maltreated  bv  abusive  language,  and  even  beaten 
b}'  some  officers  in  the  Quarter-Master  General's  depart- 
ment. In  consequence  of  this  ill  usage,  several  of  them 
left  the  army  the  next  morning  forever,  choosing  to  run 
the  risk  of  meeting  the  resentment  of  their  enemies,  rather 
than  submit  to  the  derision  and  abuse  of  those  to  whom  the}' 
looked  up  as  friends.* 

Cornwallis,  with  his  arm}-,  was  now  at  Winnsboro, 
nearly  midway  between  Camden  and  Ninety  vSix.  and 
within  supporting  distance  of  either.  According  to  Lord 
Rawdon,  the  second  in  command,  it  is  evident  tliat  the 
British  leaders  were  happy,  after  all  their  toils  and  sutTerings, 
to  fmd  that  "Ninety  Six  was  safe "  t — that  the  much- 
dreaded  mountaineers  had  fortunately  turned  their  faces 
northwardly,  instead  of  towards  the  fortress  where  Cruger 
commanded,  and  which  they  might  easily  have  reached 
long  before  it  could  possibly  have  been  relieved  by  the 
storm,  mud,  and  sick-bound  army  en  route  from  Charlotte  to 
Winnsboro. 

Through  the  Tories,  doubtless.  Lord  Cornwallis  learned 
in  time  of  the  executions  by  the  mountaineers  of  the  Lo3-al- 
ists  at  Bickerstaff's,  near  Gilbert  Town,  and  wrote  to  the 
American  commanders  threatening  retaliation.  General 
Gates,  in  transmitdng  these  complaints  to  Congress, 
expressed  the  opinion  that  *'  no  person  ought  to  be  executed, 
but  after  legal  conviction,  and  by  order  of  die  supreme  civil 
or  military  authority,  in  the  department  where  the  offence 
is  committed  ;  but  I  must  confess  my  astonishment  at  Lord 


:      ■  !^ 

-      .  ' 

,  1     'j 

=  !■ 


*Stedman,  ii,  525. 

■}■  Cornwallis'   CoTetpondetiee,  i,  496. 


I' 


' 


m 


il 


■J,. 


872 


A'/Xcrs  MOCXTALY 


C(M-n\vallis'  finding  fault  with  a  cnu'lt\-  he  aiul  his  otllcers 
are  constantly  praelisiiii;" — this  is  crvin;^'  roi^iie  lirst." 

Ci)niinenlin<4"  on  this  passant',  Henry  .S.  Randall  pertin- 
ently observes:  '•  Supreme  eivil  or  niilitarv  authority  "  was 
not  much  better  than  a  name,  in  tlie  locality  and  e.\iy;ency  ; 
and  was  quite  as  well  represented,  in  our  jud_n;ment,  as  it 
C(nild  elsewhere  have  been,  in  the  intelligent  and  respon- 
sible gentlemen — lor  emphatically  ihey  were  such — who, 
by  their  own  danger  and  exertions,  had  done  what  no 
lormalK'  constituted  ••  authority  "' was  able  to  do;  and,  if 
the  victors  of  King's  Mountain  hung  fewer  men  than  the 
documents  found  on  P>ritish  officers  clearh-  pnni-d  had 
bei'U  executed  of  Americans  by  their  orders,  they  enforced 
less,  we  believe,  than  the  full  measure  of  rightful  and 
proper  retaliation.  And  there  is  not  a  doubt  that  Uie  prac- 
tical elVect  of  the  measure  was  good,  not  only  on  the  British 
Lieutenant-General.  but  on  the  parricides  who  were  so  keen 
to  scent  out.  among  their  countrymen,  the  breakers  of 
enforced  and  withdrawn  paroles.  The  hunt  became  less 
intently  amusing,  wlu-n  it  was  understood  diat  the  hunter 
placed  the  noose  that  had  strangled  his  victim,  around  his 
own  neck,  in  the  event  of  his  capture.  * 

The  threatened  retaliation  by  Cornwall!  ..  addressoil  in 
the  hrst  instance  to  General  Smallwood,  and  then  to  Gen- 
er,d  Gales,  was  left  as  a  K-gacy  for  General  Greene,  on  his 
succeeding  Gates  in  the  command  of  the  Southern  depart- 
ment :  and  he  met  it  in  a  calm  and  clignilleil  manner.  "  I 
am,'  he  wrote  to  his  Lordship.  '*  too  much  a  stranger  to  the 
transaclions  at  Gilbert  Town  to  reply  fully  to  that  .--'.ibiect. 
They  must  ha\e  been  committed  betbre  \\\\  anival  in  the 
department,  and  by  persons  under  the  character  of  volun- 
teers, wlio  were  indejiendent  of  the  army.  Ilowexer,  if 
there  was  anything  done  in  that  atVair  contrary  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  humanity  and  the  law  of  nations,  and  for  which 
they  had  not  the  conduct  of  your  armv  as  a  precedent.  I 
.shall  be  ever  ready  to  testify  my  disapprobation  of  it.     The 

*  Life  0/ Jefferson,  i,  282, 


pi 

Tl! 

1- 

i-  r 

f 


II 


Ill 
n- 
lis 
•t- 
I 

10 

K't. 
le 

(11- 
if 

Hi- 
:h 
.  I 
he 


AXD  ITS  rrEROFS. 


373 


first  exaiiijilc  w.i.s  I'm  ni.shfil  »)ii  N  uiii  part,  as  ;ipin'ar.s  by  iho 
list  of  unhappy  siilU'rors  enclosed  ;  and  it  might  have  been 
expectoil,  that  tin-  iViends  of  the  unfortunate  should  follow 
it.  Puuishiuif  tapitally  for  a  brcaili  ol"  niiHtar\-  paioK-,  is 
u  severity  that  the  principles  of  modern  war  will  not  author- 
ize, unless  till'  inhabitants  are  to  be  treated  as  a  concpu-red 
people,  and  subji-ct  to  all  the  rijjfor  of  niilitarv  ifoverniuent. 
The  feeliuirs  of  mankind  will  forewr  decide,  when  the 
rights  of  humanity  are  invaded.  I  lea\e  tln'in  to  )ud};e  of 
the  tendencv  of  your  Lordship's  order  to  Lieutenant-Col- 
onel   Balfour    after   the     action     near    Camden,    of     Lord 


Rawd( 


le 


Lawden's  proclamation,  and  of  Tarleton's  layinj;' waslt 
country,  and  distressing  the  inhabitants,  who  were  taught 
to  expect  protection  and  security,  if  tlu-y  observed  but  a 
neutrality.  Sending  the  inhabitants  of  Charleston  to  St. 
Augustine,  contrary  to  the  articles  of  capitulation,  is  a 
violation  which  I  have  also  to  represent,  and  which  I  hope 
3'our  Lordship  will  think  yourself  bound  to  redress." 

The  enclosed  list  referred  to  was  this  :  '*  \Vi"iam  Stroud 
and  INIr.  Uowell,  executed  near  Rock}'  Blount,  without  a 
trial,  by  order  of  Lieutent-Colonel  Turnbull  :  Richard 
Tucker,  Samuel  Andrews,  and  John  Miles,  hangetl  at 
Camden  by  order  of  Lord  Cornwallis  ;  Mr.  Ji)hns()ii.  hanged 
since  the  action  of  Blackstocks,  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Tarleton ;  about  thirty  persons  hanged  at  Augusta  by 
Colonel  Browne  ;  Adam  Cusick  hanged  at  Pedee  by  one 
Colonel  Mills."* 


'■'Gordon's  Amerkan  Wnr.  iv.  pp.  2S-29. 

The  Ciilnncl  Mills  licrc  rcfirred  to,  must  not  be  confovindi.d  with  Colonel  Ambrose 
Mills,  of  King's  Moiint.TJn  iiuMiiory,  one  of  the  unfortunates  executed  at  UickerstafT's. 
\Villi.Tin  Hinry  Mills,  mentioned  by  General  Greene,  belonged  in  the  ("heraw  region,  and 
served  in  (he-  Smith  Carolina  Prnvinrial  Consrcss.  early  in  the  rontesi  ;  but  suh>.ei|uently 
jiined  the  Ibiiish,  and  was  made  a  Colonel,  Siirvivini;  the  war,  he  retired  to  laniaica,  and 
then  to  England,  where  he  <licd  in  1R07. 

P'Ut  from  ludce  J.imes'  Life  of  M.trion,  and  Grecg's  Histi^ry  0/  iltr  Chernivs.  il  is  very 
question. ihle  if  Colonel  Mills  was  responsible  for  the  execution  of  Cusack.  'riiosc  well- 
it, formed  writers  clearly  charge  that  act  upon  Colonel  Wemyss.  Cusack  was  accused, 
according  to  one  account,  of  no  other  crime  than  refusing  to  transport  some  British  ollicers 
over  a  ferry,  and  shooting  at  them  airross  the  river ;  while  another  statement  has  it,  that  he 
shot  at  the  lil.uk  servant  of  a  Tory  officer,  John  Brockinyton,  whom  he  knew,  across  P.lack 
crcjk.  I'aken  prisoner  by  the  enemy,  he  was  tried,  and  condemned  on  the  evidence  of 
the  negro. 


I  i 


374 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


i 


Ik'iv  liajipily  imuUuI  tlip  lliri>atctu>(l  retaliation  on  the 
part  of'  Lord  L'ornwallis  tor  tiie  t-xocution  of  llu-  Loyalist 
leacKrs  taki-ii  at  Kinj^'s  Mountain.  It  was  wi-ll  tiiat  his 
Lordship  ri'lraini'd  from  oxcri-isin;^^  a  power  that  coidd  only 
iiavt-  faiini'd  llie  llanu'S  of  desohition  thnnigliout  the  south- 
ern horders.  The  inhumanities  praetiei'd  on  both  sides  in 
that  distracted  quarter  were  aheady  but  too  di-phirable  in 
their  eharaeter,  and  nccckHl  not  fresh  provocations  to  inten- 
sity their  brutality,  or  add  to  the  fretjuetuy  of  their 
occurrence.  It  was  generally  said,  and  bi'lieved,  that  in 
the  di>lrict  of  Ninety  Six  alone,  fourteen  hundred  unhappy 
widows  and  orphans  were  left  to  bemoan  the  fate  of  their 
unfortunate  fathers,  husbands  and  brothers,  killed  and  mur- 
dered during  tlie  course  of  the  war.  * 

Good  words  for  the  victory  and  victors  of  Kin<f's  Moun- 
tain have  not  been  wanting.  General  Gates  returned  thanks, 
through  Colonel  Campbell  and  his  associates,  "to  the  brave 
oflici'is  and  soldiers  under  your  command,  for  your  and 
their  glorious  behavior  in  the  action  ;  the  records  of  the 
war  will  transmit  your  names  and  theirs  to  posterity,  with 
the  highest  honors  and  applause;"  and  he  desired  to 
express  the  sense  he  enti-rtained  of  ''  the  great  service  they 
had  done  their  country."  General  Washington  proclaimed 
the  result  in  General  Orders  to  the  army,  as  "  an  import- 
ant object  gained,"  and  ''a  proof  of  the  spirit  and  resources 
of  the  cuuntiy  ;  "  while  Congress  expressed  in  its  resolves, 
''  a  high  sense  of  the  spirited  and  military  conduct  of 
Colonel  Campbell,  and  the  ofllcers  and  privates  of  the 
militia  under  his  command,  displayed  in  the  action  of 
October  seventh,  in  which  a  complete  victory  was  obtained." 
This  marked  success  over  Ferguson,  and  the  heroic  conduct 
of  the  riflemen  at  Guilford,  convinced  General  Greene,  that 
"  the  militia  of  the  back  country  are  formidable."  "  Camp- 
bell's glorious  success  at  King's  Mountain,"  was  the  terse 
encomium    of    Lieutenant-Colonel    Lee,    of    the    Legion 

*Moultrie's  il/««o»Vf .  ii,  343. 


AND   ITS  HEROES, 


375 


P 


Cavalry.     "  It    was    a    sharp    atlioii,"   said    Chief  Juslici' 
Marshall,  ^Milled  by  "  tho  victorious  niouiilaincers." 

"  No  battle,"  says  Lossinj^,  "  diirin;^  llie  war.  was  more 
o])stinateIy  contested  than  this  ;  it  co'iiplelely  crushed  the 
spirits  of  tlie  Loyalists,  anil  weakened,  beyond  ri'coverv, 
tlu'  royal  power  in  the  Carolinas."  *  "The  victory  at 
King's  Mountain,"  observes  Bancroft,  "  which  in  the  spirit 
of  the  American  soldii'rs  was  like  tlu-  rising  at  Concord,  in 
its  ellects  like  the  success  at  Bennington,  changed  the 
aspects  of  the  war.  The  Loyalists  of  North  Carolina  no 
longer  dared  rise.  It  fired  the  patriots  of  the  two  Caro- 
linas with  fresh  zeal.     It  encouraged  the  fragments  of  the 


defe 


efeated  and  scattered  American  army  to  seek  eacii  other, 
and  organize  themselves  anew.  It  cjuickened  the  North 
Carolina  Le<iislature  to  earnest  ellorts.  It  encoura<red 
Virtfitiia  to  devote  her  resources  to  the  countrv  south  of  her 
border.  The  appi'arance  on  the  frontiers  of  a  numerous 
enemy  from  settlements  bi-yond  the  mountains,  whose  verv 
names  had  been  unknown  to  the  British,  took  Cornwallis 
by  surprise,  and  their  success  was  fatal  to  his  intended 
expedition.  He  had  hoped  to  step  with  ease  from  one 
Carolina  to  the  other,  and  from  tliose  to  the  contjuest  of 
Virginia;  and  he  had  now  no  choice  but  to  retreat."  f 

When  all  the  circumstances,  continues  the  same  distin- 
guished historian,  are  considered,  the  hardihood  of  the 
conception,  the  brilliancy  of  the  execution,  and  the 
important  train  of  consequences  resulting  from  it,  there 
was  nothing  in  the  North  more  so.  except  the  surrender 
at  Saratoga.  It  is  not  to  be  imagined,  that  the  assemb- 
lage of  the  troops  was  an  accidental  and  tumultuous 
congregation  of  men,  merely  seeking  wild  adventures. 
On  the  contrary,  although  each  step  in  the  progress  of  the 
enterprise  seemed  to  be  characterized  by  a  daring  impulse, 
yet  the  purpose  had  been  coolly  conceived,  and  its  execution 


■li 


*/"/(•/./  Hook  of  t'lf  Ki'voJutinn,  ii,  pp.  438-39, 
•(■  History  of  the  I  iiitdJ  states,  x,  3.(0, 


m 


m 


37(5 


A'/.Va 'S  MOUNTAIN 


(U'libi'rati'ly  plaiiiu'd  in  a  tcMiipcr  of  not  less  wisdom  than 
Iiardilioocl.  * 

Irviii}^  di'ilari's,  that  '*  ihi'  battle  ot"  I<iiii,f's  Mountain, 
ini'onsidiTahli'  as  it  was  in  the  ninnbrrs  cn^a^cd.  turiu'd 
tiu'  tide  tif  Souliu'in  wailaii'.  'I'h*' (h'slnulioii  of  l'\"ri;;ns()n 
and  his  corps  ;^avi'  a  (.•onii^K'ti.'  I'hivk  to  \\w  cxpi'dition  of 
Cornwalhs.  I  K'  licj^an  to  tVar  Ibr  the  salbiy  t)l"  South  Caro- 
lina, haiik- to  suiii  suddi'U  iiruplious  iVoin  iht'  mountains; 
U'sl,  wiiiU'  hi'  was  facinif  to  thi>  noith,  thesi'  bordcs  of 
stark-iidiniLj  warriors  might  thiow  tlu'm,sri\i's  bcliiud  iiim, 
and  proihici'  a  popuhu*  lomlinstiou  in  thi'  I'roviiut-  In-  had 
left.  IK-  rc\s()I\rd,  thi'rt'tbrt',  to  return  with  all  speed  to 
that  I'rovinee,  ami  piovide  for  its  security."* 

Lord  Cornwallis  I'ully  reco<j[ni/,od  the  extent  of  the  threat 
disaster.  lIissud(U>n  ri-treat  into  South  Carolina  showed 
it.  l'\'rL;uson.  he  saiil,  '*  had  taken  inlinite  pains  with 
some  ot'tlie  militia  ot' Ninety  Six,"  and  had  conlitU'nee  that 
tluw  Wduld  tiuht  well,  which  his  Lordship  doubted;  and 
yet  Cornwallis  sullered  him  to  go  on  a  distant  service, 
without  any  regulars,  artillery,  or  cavalry  for  his  support, 
and  tlu-  result  was,  as  his  Lordship  acknowledges,  that 
Ferguson  was  "totally  defeated  at  King's  Mountain." 
The  discouraging  eOect  of  that  crushing  disaster  on  the 
Tories,  may  well  be  judginl  from  Cornwallis'  dispatch  to 
Sir  Ilenrv-  Clinton:  "The  militia  of  Ninety  six,"  he 
observes,  "  on  which  alone  W'>  could  place  the  smallest 
dependence,  was  so  totally  dishi'arteneil  by  the  defeat  of 
Ferguson,  that  of  that  whole  district  wt>  could  withdifli- 
culty  asseiuble  one  hundred  ;  and  (.'wn  thosi',  I  am  con- 
vinced, would  not  have  made  the  smallest  resistance  if  they 
had  been  attacked."  "The  defeat  of  Major  r\'i-guson." 
wrote  Lord  Rawdon,  "  had  so  dispirited  tliis  part  of  the 
countrv,  and  indeed  the  Loyal  subjects  were  so  wearied  by 
the    long    continuance  of  the   campaign,  that    Lieutenant- 


*M?.  statement  of  Hon.  Oenrge  U.incrofi,  preservcil  liy  (Icncr-il  Preston. 
•{■  Irving  s   Wailchi/^toii,  iv,  pp.  193-94. 


\\ 


ilHij 


AND  ITS  lir.ROIS. 


..77 


Colonel  C'niL^ir,  coiiiinaiulint,'  at  Niiu-ly  Six,  snil  inlnrma- 
lioii  Id  Lmd  C'tirinvallis,  tlial  llu-  wIidIc  di.sliii  t  had  (ictiT- 
iniiuil  to  .siihinil  as  .soon  as  tin-  l<t!)ils  should  cult  r  it;" 
and,  a  liltli- latiM",  Loril  CornwaHis  wrote:    "  Tlie  loiislant 


iniursioiis  of  ieru<r«H'S,   North  C'aroliiii.ms,    !5aik  Mountai 


n 


nu'ii,  and  llic  piTin-tnal    nsin;^s    \\\  dilhii'iil    jiaiis    o 


Ih 


ihi.' 


l'ro\  iiuf.  the  iiuariabli'  siiccessos  of  all  thosi*  parties  aL;ainst 
our  militia,  keep  the  wiiole  eouiUi'N'  in  eontinual  alarm,  ami 
ri'iuler  the  assistance  of  ix-^uhu'  troops  e\ei'y\\  here  iieees- 
sary.     * 

Sir  Henry  Clinton,  llie  Ihilish  (."otninandei-in-i-hiil'  iu 
America,  blamed  I^ord  CornwaHis  lor  delacliinj^'  l"\'rt,fuson 
without  any  support  of  regular  troops,  when  hi.'.  I.nrdsliip 
had  previously  stated,  that  l'\'rnuson"s  hopes  of  success  on 
hi'^  Torx  niililia  "  wi-re  contrary  to  liie  e.\|)erit'nce  of  die 
army,  as  wi'li  as  of  Major  l'\'ri4'uson  himst-H";"  and  *'  that 
his  Lordship,"  wrote  vSir  j  Icury,  "  should,  d/'tcr  f/iis  opinion^ 
not  oidy  sutler  Coloiu'l  l-'i-ri^nison  to  be  delached  without 
support,  but  i^ut  such  a  river  as  the  Catawba  bi'lweeii  iiim 
and  Ferguson,  was  a  matter  of  wduder  to  .Sir  II.  Clinton 
and  all  who  knew  it."  f 

"Great  and  glorious  I''  was  the  i-\clamation  of  CJeiuTal 
Gates,  when  the  tidings  of  the  <:;rand  Iriiuuph  of  the  KiiiL;"s 
Mountain  men  reached  him.  "  That  memorrhk-  Ni.lory," 
declared  the  i^atriotjellerson,  "was  (he  joyful  aniumciation  of 
thai  turn  of  the  tide  of succi>ss,  which  liMininated  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  with  thi-  si-al  of  indepencU'nce."  And  richl\- 
dill  the  heroes,  who  marched  under  Campbell's  banners, 
desi-rve  all  the  praise  so  generously  bi'stoweil  upon  them. 
Kinj^'s  Mountain  pavi-d  the  way  for  the  succi'ssive  ad- 
vantages n^ained  b\'  the  American  arms  at  First  Dam  I'ord, 
lilackstocks,  Cowpens,  Guilford,  and  Eutaw  ;  and  ulti- 
matel\-  for  the  crowninij  victory  of  York  Town,  with  the 
glorious  fruition   of  "  INDEPENDENCE    F(M<E\'ER." 

♦Ciirnwallis'  Corresfiondencc.  i.  pp.  fj.  8f>-Si,  497-98. 
f  Clinion's  Obsf-'ations  on  Stcdnian. 


i^ 


Kit 


m.^ppS|| 


378 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAI  'V^ 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


?'i   (6 


;  ! 


■: 


s  is: 


■i 

IS 

1  E- 


Gen.  \A/illiam  Campbell. 


His  Si  otili-  Irish  Anctstry. — His  l-'atlur  an  Early  Holston  Explorer. — 
William  CamfibtU's  IHr/li  a>ui  lultication. — Settles  on  llolstoii. — .-/ 
Captain  on  Dnnniore's  Cnntpaign. — Raised  a  Company  for  the  first 
I'irt^inia  Reiiintent  in  IJJS- — Returns  for  the  Defenee  of  the  /■yon- 
tiers. — //is  A/ilitary  .Ippointnients. — Rencounter  luith  and  //anging 
of  the  liandit  Hopkins.— Suppressing  Tories  up  /Ve7U  Riiur. — 
A'ing's  y/ouni.iin  Expediti  ii—his  Ih-avery  I'iitdieated. — Public 
Thanlcs  for  his  Sendees — Marches  to  Long  Island  of  I/olston. — 
At  WhitzelFs  Mills  and  Guilford. — /designs  front  Ill-treatment. — 
Made  Brigadier-General. — Serz'es  under  Lli Fayette. — Death  and 
Character. — Notices  of  his  King's  Mountain  Officers. 

The  Campbell  family,  from  which  the  hero  of  Kirifr's 
Mountain  desceniled,  were  originally  from  Inverary,  Argyll- 
shire, connected  with  the  famous  Campbell  clans  of  the 
Highlands  of  Scotland  ;  and  emigrated  to  Ireland  near  the 
close  of  the  reign  of  Qiieen  Elizabeth — about  the  year 
i6oo.  The  northern  portion  of  Ireland  received,  at  that 
perioc',  large  accessions  of  Scotch  Prott'stants,  who  proved 
valuable  and  useful  citizens.  Here  the  Camjibells  continued 
to  live  for  several  generations,  until  at  length  John  Caaip- 
bell,  with  a  family  of  ten  or  twelve  children,  removed  to 
America  in  1726,  and  settled  first  in  Donegal,  Lancaster 
Comity,  PennsN'lvania,  where  we  find  one  of  his  sons,  Pat- 
rick Campbell,  born  in  1690,  serving  as  a  constable  in  \  ,'ic). 
About  i7.:;o,  John  Campbell,  with  three  of  his  sons,  Patrick 
among  them,  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  what  was  then 
a  part  of  Orange,  now  Augusta  County,  in  the  rich  valley 
of  Virginia.*  Another  authority  assigns  1738  as  the  time 
of  this  migration. f 

*MS.  statements  of  Cmv   Daviil  Catnphcll  ;   Fdote's  SX,'/,/irr  of  \'ir^nia,  ..._   ond  series, 
pp.  114,  117;  Riipp's  llistinyof  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  185;   Mombcrt's  Lancaster,  120. 
f  R.  A.  Hrock,  Ksq.,  in  Kichinond  Standard,  }u\y  10th,  1880. 


A\D  ITS  HEROES. 


879 


Among  tlio  chililrcn  ot"  Palriik  Campbell,  who  thus  early 
settled  in  Western  \'irginia,  was  Charles,  who  seems  to 
have  been  born  in  Ireland  before  tlu  removal  of  the  family 
to  the  New  World,  lie  became  a  prominent  and  ellieient 
pionei'r  of  the  Augusta  Valley.  He  early  married  a  Miss 
liuchanan,  whose  fatlicr,  John  I»aclianan,  Sr.,  had  figured 


th 


m  the  wars  of  Scotland ;  antl  iVom  this  union  sj^rang 
William  Campbell,  who  subsetpu'nlly  led  the  Seolch-Irisli 
patriots  of  the  Ilolston  \'alley  against  Ferguson  at  King's 
Mountain.  He  was  born  in  Augusta  County  in  17.^5  :  and, 
though  reared  on  that  remote  frontier,  and  amid  the  excite- 
ments and  tlangers  of  the  French  anil  Inilian  war  of  1755- 
(i}^y  yet  he  was  c-nabled,  as  an  only  son,  to  secuii-  the  best 
education  muler  the  best  tiMchers  of  that  period — David 
Robinson,  a  tine  scholar,  having  been,  it  is  beliexed.  among 
his  instructors,  as  he  was  of  many  others  of  the  youth  of 
Augusta  of  that  day.  Young  Camjibell  acijuired  a  correct 
knowledyc  of  the  Enjjlish  hmguaiie,  ancient  and  modern 
history,  and  several  branches  of  the  mathem-.itics.* 

His  father,  Charles  Campbell,  was  not  only  an  enterpris- 
ing farmer  of  Augusta,  but  early  engaged  in  western 
exploration,  and  in  the  accjuisit'on  of  the  rich  wild  lands 
of  the  country.  Tn  April,  174S,  he  made  an  exploring  tour 
down  the  Ilolston,  in  company  with  Doctor  'i'homas 
Walker,  Colonel  James  Palton,  James  Wood,  and  John 
Buciuinan,  together  wiUi  a  number  ol"  Inmti'rs  and  wood- 
men. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Campbell  located  a  line 
tract  on  the  North  Fork  of  Ilolston,  where  \  aluable  salt 
springs  were  afterwartl  iliscovered,  for  which  he  obtaineil  a 
patent  from  the  (JoviMiior  of  X'irginia  in  175,^  It  jnoNed  a 
areat  benefit  alike  to  his  descenilants  and  the  countrx .  In 
an  old  manuscript  written  apparency  in  1750,  it  is  stated 
that  "John  Buchanan  anil  Charles  Campbell  do  not  go 
out  this  fall  " — indicating  a  contemplated  removal,  probably 


J  \ 


*Ca\.  Arthur  CampbeU's  MS.  Sketch  of  Oeii.  William  C.imphtll ;  Oov.  Ciiuphcll's  MS, 
corrcspoiulencc. 


iii  i 


li  ^ 


1        I 


A'AVG^  '5  ArO  UXTAI.y 

to  the  Hols'.  >n  frontiers.  As  early  as  i7-j2.  Charles  Camp- 
bell was  enrolled  as  a  niilitia-man  in  th  ;  company  of  John 
Buchanan;  and,  in  1752,  he  was  cliosen  a  Captain,  and 
doubtless  rendered  service  in  tin'  defence  of  the  Aui^usta 
Valley  during  die  lon^  period  of  Indian  irruptions  anil 
disturbances  of  I]radd(jck's  war.  In  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  he  became  intemperate,  and  cut  short  his  career,  d\  iiii^ 
carl}-  in  1767.* 

At  his  father's  death,  William  Campbell,  then  a  young- 
man  of  about  twenty-two,  rt-sohed  to  remove  with  hi.s 
mother  anil  four  young  sisters,!  to  the  frontiers  of  Holston. 
They  migrated  there,  locating  on  a  line  tract  called  Aspen- 
vale,  twenty-one  miles  east  of  the  Wolf  Hills,  now  the 
pleasant  town  of  Abingdon,  and  one  mile  west  of  the 
Seven  Mile  Ford.  In  1773,  he  was  appointed  among  the 
earliest  Justices  of  FincasLle  County,  and,  in  i  774,  a  Captain 
of  tile  militia.  Allh(n)''ii  an  onl\'  son,  and  inheriting  a 
considerable  property-,  he  never  yielded  to  the  fashionable 
follies  of  young  men  of  fortune.  Devoted  to  the  o]iening 
and  culture  of  a  plantation  in  the  wilderness,  nothing 
occurred  to  interfere  with  the  routine  of  farm  lite  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Indian  war  in  1774,  when  '^'^'  •■!''''<-'(l  ^i 
company  of^oung  men,  and  joining  Colonel  Christian's  regi- 
miiU,  pursued  raiiidly  to  overtake  Colonel  Andrew  Lewis, 
who  had  jireceded  them  to  Point  Pleasant,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Kenhawa,  where  a  decisive  battle  was  fought,  beating 
back  the  vShawanoes  and  allied  tribes.  Colonel  Christian's 
re-inforcement,  though  they  made  a  forced  march,  did  not 
reach  the  battle-ground  till  midnight  succeeding  the  engage- 
menl.  Thenext  morning  tin  irmy  crossed  the  Ohio,  hasten- 
ing to  join  Lord  Dunmore,  with  another  ili\ision.  at  the  Pick- 


'■'MS.  records  of  Ar.'.'iistn  County.  Va. ;  Winlorlioili.iin's  Aiiierira,  iii,  ;;^o;  Morse's 
Cei\^t;i/ilir,  ud  17)7;  ilu  ,  t-d.  iHo<;.  i,  088 ;  Smti  s  Oii>i;tii/>hiuil  Oirtii^nary,  1805;  ("mthrie's 
G^vi^r.ifiliy.  iHi^  ii.  472;  MS  Diary  of  Dr.  Tliomns  Walkir.  wliicli  alone  shows  tlie  correct 
d.itc  of  Cli  irlis  Campbell's  c.\p!or:uinn  of  tlie  Molsion  Valley. 

-j-The  clikst,  F.lizabctli.  m.irricd  John  T.iylor ;  J:im.'.  Thomas  rate;  Marjarct.  Col. 
Arthnr  l'ani|iln-ll  ;  and  Ann,  Richard  I'oMon -all  men  of  yreat  respcclaliilily,  leavin,i; 
numeruu.s  descendants. 


AND  rrs  /[/■/w/:s. 


881 


a\v;i\-  plains  on  tlie  Scioto,  \vlu>ri'  his  Lordship  concluded  a 
treaty  of  peace  with  llie  deleati'd  and  iiumbled  Indian 
tribes.  Thus  was  Captain  Catnpbell,  with  all  his  zeal  to 
eni,fai;e  in  active  service,  and  after  ha\inj^r  traveled  hun- 
dreds of'  miles  throuj^h  the  wilderness  iVoni  soutii-western 
Virginia  to  tin;  lu'art  of  the  Ohio  countr\-.  compelled  to 
sheathe  Iiis  sword,  and  retuin  ai^niin  to  his  peaceful  homi'on 
the  Ilolston. 

l^he  aiLji^ressions  of  the  British  ministr\'  on  the  ricrhis 
of  American  freemen  had  alreadv  made  a  (\vvyi  imjiri-ssion 
on  the  minds  of  the  frontier  people.  W'h'le  at  Fort  (iower, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  ITockhockini,^,  returnint,f  from  the  Scioto 
expedition,  the  troops  di-clared,  on  the  fif'th  of'  Novi-mbcr, 
1774 — Captain  Campbell,  no  doubt,  amonjr  the  number — 
that,  '"as  the  love  of  Lilierty,  and  attachment  to  the  real 
interests  and  just  rii^hts  of  .America  outweigh  every  other 
consiileration,  we  resolve  that  wi'  will  exert  I'vi'rv  pcnver  with- 
in us  f'or  the  defe.:ce  of  American  Liberty,  and  i'orthe  support 
of  her  just  rights  and  privili'ges."  And  on  the  iwenlielh  of 
Jamiary  ensuing,  Co](»nels  Preston  and  Christian,  Arthur  and 
William  Camplu'll,  together  with  \Villiam  Edmondson, 
Reverend  Charles  Cummings,  and  other  leaders  of'  Fin- 
castle  County,  comprising  the  Ilolston  st'ttk'nu'nts.  stMit  a 
calm  and  patriotic  address  to  the  Continental  Congress, 
announcing,  that  ''if  no  pacific  measures  shall  be  jiroposed 
or  adojHed  bv  CJreat  Britain,  and  our  eiii'inies  attempt  to 
dragoon  us  out  of  those  ini^stimable  privileges  which  wcare 
entitled  to  as  subjects,  and  ri'duce  us  to  slavery,  wi'  declare 
that  wcare  deliberately  and  resolutely  determined  ni"\er  to 
surrend(.>r  them  to  any  power  upon  earth  but  at  the  expense 
of  our  li\es.  These  are  our  real,  though  unpolished,  si'iili- 
ments  of  liberty  and  lo\ality.  and  in  tluMu  we  are  resolved 
to  live  and  dii."  *  These  were  noble  declarations  of 
William  Campbell  and  associates,  proclaimed  three  months 
bef'ore  the  fu'st  clang  of  arms  at  T^exington.  four  anterior  to 

"  Aiiii'iuaii  Ari  hh'i's.  Fourth  Scries,  i,  9O3,  ii63. 


!! 


■ 


I'r'  * 


SI 


i 


I 


! 


382 


KING 'S  MO  UN  TAIN 


the  patriotic  ivsolves  of  the  people  of  Meeklenburif,  five 
before  the  deacllv  strife  on  Bunker  Hill,  and  nearly  a  year 
and  six  months  before  the  immortal  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence by  Congress.  These  sentimenls  of  the  men 
of  Ilolston  formed  the  key-note  of  their  patriotic  eflbrts 
throughout  the  Revolution — and  thev  never  flagged  a  mo- 
ment, while  life  lasted,  till  their  liberties  were  secured. 

At  length  war  burst  upon  the  country.  Captain  Camp- 
bell, who  had  pledged  himself  at  Fort  Gow  r,  in  1774,  to 
exert  every  power  within  him  in  the  defence  of  American 
liberty,  and  subsequenlly  renewed  the  solemn  declaration 
"to  live  and  die"  in  support  of  the  great  principles  for 
which  Bruce  and  Wallace,  and  Hampden  and  Sydney  had, 
in  the  past,  contended,  now  entered  warmly  into  the  con- 
test, raiding  the  lirst  company  in  south-western  Virginia  in 
support  of  the  common  cause,  marching  to  Williamsburg 
with  his  hunting-shirt  riflemen,  in  September,  1775,  and 
taking  their  place  in  the  First  Virginia  regiment  under  the 
command  of  the  famous  Patrick  Ilenrv.  His  commission 
as  Captain  bore  date  December  tifteenth  of  that  year. 
Owing  to  the  regiment's  confinement  to  the  inactivities 
of  camp  life,  and  the  slights  and  indignities  meted  out  to 
him,  Henry  at  length  resigned  the  command,  when  his  men 
who  were  devoted  to  him,  went  into  mourning.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Christian  succeeded  to  the  command,  and  the 
regiment  was  placed  on  Continental  establishment  under 
General  Andrew  Lewis  ;  and  shared  in  dislodging  Dunmore 
from  Gwyn's  Island,  July  ninth,  1776 — the  British  not 
fancying  a  too  close  contact  with  the  frontier  rifiemen, 
exclaimed,  as  they  came  in  sight,  "the  shirt-men  are 
coming!"  when  they,  panic-stricken,  precipitateh' evacu- 
ated the  Island. 

Shortly  after,  intelligence  came  that  the  Cherokees, 
instigated  by  British  agents  and  emissaries,  had  attacked 
the  frontiers,  when  Colonel  Christian  resigned,  and  returned 
to  the  Ilolston  country  to  lead  an    expedition    against  the 


I 


JND  ITS  HEROES. 


383 


hostile  Indians.  When  Captain  Campbell  heard  of  these 
border  troubles,  he  felt  not  a  little  uneasy  on  account  of  the 
unprotected  situation  of  his  mother  and  sisters  ;  and  wrote 
to  Major  Arthur  Campbell,  expressing  the  hope  that  all  the 
women  and  children  in  the  Ilolston  coimtry  might  be 
gathered  into  forts,  thus  enabling  the  men  to  engage  in 
repelling  the  enemy,  adding:  "I  iiave  the  most  cogent 
reasons  for  endeavoring  to  resign,  and  can,  I  think,  do  so 
with  honor ;  and  if  I  possibly  can,  I  shall  be  witli  you 
He  felt  it  was  his  duty  to  repair  to  the  frontiers, 


soon 


"  * 


and  lend  all  his  aid  in  their  defence.  But  he  was  nut  able 
to  leave  the  service  till  near  the  close  of  the  year,  and  thus 
failed  to  share  in  Christian's  expedition  against  tlie  Chero- 
kees.  T3ut  the  delay,  perhaps,  aided  him  in  securing  a 
noble  companion  for  life,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Elizabeth 
Ilenrv,  a  sister  of  his  old  commander,  Patrick  Henry — the 
unrivalled  orator  and  statesman  of  the  Revolution.  During 
this  service  of  over  a  yeai  'n  eastern  Virginia,  Captain 
Campbell  acquired  a  practical  knowledge  of  militar}-  tactics, 
and  the  discipline  of  an  army,  which  proved  of  great  value 
to  him  in  his  subsequent  campaigns  to  King's  Mountain 
and  Guilford. 

On  his  return  home  he  found  the  Cherokees,  having 
been  subdued,  were  quiet  lor  awhile.  The  large  County 
of  Fincastle,  embracing  much  of  south-western  Virginia 
and  all  of  Kentucky,  was  sub-divided  ;  and  on  the  organi- 
zation of  Washington  County,  in  January,  1777,  he  was  con- 
tinued a  mcmberof  the  Justices' Court,  and  made  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  the  militia,  Arthur  Campbell  having  been  made 
County  Lieutenant  or  Colonel  Commandant,  and  Evan 
Shelby,  Colonel.  At  this  term  cjf  the  court,  William  Cam[>- 
bell,  William  Edmondson.  and  two  others  were  appointed 
commissioners  to  hire  -iVcio-ons  to  bring  up  t/ic  Cr'iir.tx  salt 
allotted  by  the  Government  and  Council,  and  receive  and 
distribute  the  same,  making  it  necessary  to  wagon  the  salt 

♦MS.  letter,  August  ist.  1776. 


«■ 


I  ! 


h 


.MM 

In 


'I 


n. 


11 


-   i 

, 

, 

■] 

'i 

i    - 

,.  i 

% 

S    1 

1      ^' 

1! 

'  IB' 

'  ■ 

1  f 

1  1 

r.cSI 


A'/jVG  '  S  MO  UNTA  IN 


lully  tour  huiulri'd  r.iilcs,  oviM*  rou^li  roads,  iVoin  W'illiains- 
Iniii;.  This  was  sovcral  yi'ars  In-iori'  tlu'  rich  sail  wells  were 
(liseovered  on  Colonel  Canipbell's  lands  on  North  Ilolston. 
in  llu>  I'.ill  ot"  this  ye.ir.  Colonel  Campbell,  lia\iiii;  been 
appointed  a  eonunissionei-  tor  running  the  boundary  line 
between    \'iruinia    and    the   Chei-okei-s.   probably   in    lullill- 


nienl  ot   stipi 


tiindalions  ol"  the  tri'at\  at  Lonif  Ishuul  ot'  i  lolslo 


July    1 


necedniij^.    pert«)rpied   tins    ser\  let 


Ih 


n. 


Inie    e.\- 


ni 

tending'  tVoni  the  nionth  ol"  Bi^  ereek  to  tin-  lii^h  knob  on 
Cinnberland  Mountain,  a  tew  miles  Wi-st  ot"  L'uiidieiland 
Gap.*  Duiino'  the  year  177S,  he  seems  to  havi-  bei-n 
en;^an"ed  in  no  special  public  service. 

In  the  sunnner  ot"  1779,  there  was  a  jtarlial  ujirisinif  of 
Tories  in  Ah)ntm)merv  County,  where  Colonel  Walter 
Crockett,  by  his  eneroy.  succeeded  in  quelling"  the  insur- 
rection bet"ore  it  had  ii'.uned  much  heailwaw  The  same  Torv 
spirit  had  extended  itselt"  into  Washin_i;ti)n  County — and 
even  into  the  Watauija  and  Nolachucky  settlements  ;  but  the 
leaders  were  not  open  in  tlu-ir  movements — rather  like 
bandits,  struck  their  blows  in  the  ilark.  under  disguises  and 
concealments.  Colonel  Campbell  was  very  out-sjioken 
against  them.  I  lis  i>"ates  were  placarded,  threatening  his 
lil"e  ;  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  take  him.  ol"  a  ilark  ni<fht, 
and  in  a  ileep  forest,  by  two  of  these  desperadoes,  but  they 
mi>took  their  man — otherwise  Colonel  Campbell  \\ould  have 
probably  lost  his  life  at  their  hands. 

Not  k)ng  after,  when  he  was  returnino-  from  the  Ebbing 
Spring  mee'dng  house,  where  he  had  been  hearing  a  good 
Presbyterian  sermon,  mounted  on  horseback,  accompanied 
bv  his  wile,  his  cousin  John  Campbell  and  family.  Captain 
James  Dysart  and  wile,  James  Fullen,  a  man  named  Karris, 
an  x\trican  negro  named  Thomas,  and  others,  he  discovered 
a  man  approaching,  on  horseback,  uho  turned  off  into  the 
woods — a  suspicious  circumstance.  Colonel  Campbell  did 
not  personalh'  know  him,  but  John  Campbell,  who  tlid,  told 

■^MS.  pension  statement  of  Ch.Trles  Hickley. 


!Ih! 


/IjVD  /TS  If!'. roes. 


3.sr, 


tlic  Colonel  llial  it  was    iM-aiicis    Hopkins,  the  Tory  biin- 
r  a  year  or  more    Hopkins  had  j,nvcn  tlic  County 


(lit, 


nuthoriiifs  much  troubK' :  ihry  li.ul  imposod  hcav\  lines  upoi 
him  Ibr  his  rascalilii-s,  ."ul  liad  placi'd  him  under  heavy 
bonds.  lie  had  been  Inund  i.;uiU\-  of  ]iassinL(  counlerfeit 
money — was  ordt>recI  imprisoned  at  Cocke's  l-'urt  on  Kenfroe 
creek,  dll  the  county  jail  should  becf.mpleted  ;  and  when  the 
new  structure  was  reaily  lur  occupancy,  it  was  a  rickettv 
aflair,  and  Hopkins  one  dark  nij^dit  was  released  Ironi  his 
conlineinentbv  the  aid  of  svmpaUjizin'^  Tories,  who  m-icd  the 


pr; 
jail  door  from  its  hin<,a's,  and  carried  it  half  a  mile  uw 
Thus  the  bandit  and  counterfeiter  evaded  furtl 
men 


ler  imprison- 


t,  and  snapped  his  lini^'ers  at  justice,  i  le  iled  to  the 
nearest  British  jLjainson — probably  in  Georgia — where  he 
obtained  a  commir.sion,  with  letters  to  the  Cherokee  Indians 
and  the  whilt'  emissaries  among-  tliem,  urging  them  to  tall 
upon  the  frontier  setders  with  fagot,  knife,  and  tomahawk. 
He  was,  in  ever}' sense,  an  infamous  Tory,  and  adangerou'< 
character. 

Upon  learning  the  name  of  the  stranger,  Colonel  Camp- 
bell instantly  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  gave  chase  to  the 


acl 


nni' 


bandit:  and  in  the  course  of  one  or  two  miles,  rt 
the  deep  ford  of  the  INIiddle  Fork  of  Ilolston,*  about  a  mile 
above  where  Captain  Thompson  then  lived,  Hopkins,  who 
was  mounted  on  afmehorsc,  rode  down  a  steep  blulT.  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  plunging  into  the  river.  Campbell,  by 
this  time,  was  close  in  pursuit,  and  not  to  be  balked,  followed 
the  bandit  into  the  water.  'I'he  fearful  leap  threw  Hopkins 
from  his  horse  :  and,  before  he  could  reco\'er,  Campbell 
was  at  him.  They  had  along  and  desperate  rencounter  in 
river,  the  bandit  losing  his  dirk.  Hopkins  was  the  strongest 
man.  and  came  near  drowning  Campbell,  when  F\dlcn  and 
some  of  the  others,  who  h:ul  follow  ed,  came  to  liis  relief; 
and,  with  dieir  assistance,  the  bandit,  wa.-:,  after  something 
of  an  enforced  duckin;.;'.  sulidvied  and  takcMi  to  tb.e  bank. 

'•'This  locality  is  now  on  Jninos  Ilyar's  fnrin.  In  \\*ash;n^ton  Connty. 


ff 


386 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 


IIi)pkiiis"  reckless  eharacter  was  well  known — a  leader 
of  ti  nioentain  elan  of  desperadoes,  who  had  long  infested 
the  counlry,  eonnnilling  robberies  on  defenceli'ss  people 
along  the  thinly  populated  frontiers.  No  time  was  lost — there 
was  no  jail  in  the  eoanty  that  could  hold  him,  and  it  was 
dangerous  to  tlie  community  to  sufler  such  u  lawless  char- 
acter to  roam  at  large,  threatening  the  lives  of  such  men  as 
William  Campbell.  On  taking  the  culprit  to  the  bank 
of  the  stream,  they  searched  him,  finding  his  commission, 
with  commissions  for  others,  and  the  letters  to  the  Cherokces, 
which  he  had  not  yet  delivered.  The  horse  he  rode  was 
stolen  but  a  few  hours  before  ;  and  he  had  a  new  halter  tied 
on  behind  his  saddle,  evidenth'  intended  for  ant)ther  horse, 
preparatory,  perhaps,  for  a  journey,  with  some  acc(Mnplice, 
to  the  Cherokee  country.  But  the  halter,  like  Ilaman's 
gallows,  was  put  to  quite  a  dillerent  use  from  what  was 
designed  ;  for  with  it,  Hopkins,  who  was  insolent  to  Camp- 
bell, was  speedily  hung  to  the  limb  of  a  convenient  sycamore 
that  leaned  over  the  river.  When  Colonel  Campbell 
rejoined  his  wife,  she  eagerly  inquired,  "What  did  you  do 
with  him,  iMr.  Campbell?"  "Oh,  we  hung  him,  Betty — 
that's  all."  The  whole  country  rejoiced  at  this  riddance 
of  one  of  the  greatest  pests  to  society.  Others  of  the  ban- 
dit party  were  hunted  dow^n,  and  several  of  them  killed — 
one  on  Clinch,  and  another  at  the  lower  end  of  Washing- 
ton County,  or  on  the  borders  of  the  neighboring  County 
of  Sullivan,  in  now  Tennessee. 

At  the  ensuini^  October  session  of  the  Vircfinia  Lejjls- 
lature,  an  act  was  passed,  at  the  instance  of  General 
Thomas  Nelson,  Jr.,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  and  afterwards  Governor  of  the  State,  to 
full}'-  meet  the  case — though  it  would  seem  to  have  hardly 
been  necessarv.  The  act  states,  that  while  the  measures 
for  the  suppression  of  "open  insurrection  and  conspiracy" 
may  not  have  been-  "strictly  warranted  by  law,  it  was 
justifiable    from   tlie    immediate   urgency    and   imminence 


I  u 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


387 


to 

y 

•OS 

as 

iCC 


of  tlie  danger" — hence  "that  William  Campbell,  Walter 
Crockett,  and  (jtlu-r  liege  subjects  of  the  Commonwi'alth, 
aided  by  detachments  of  the  militia  and  xolunteers  horn 
tlie  County  ol'  Washington  and  other  parts  ot"  the  frontiers, 
did  by  timely  anil  ellectual  e.\ertic<n,  suppress  and  defeat 
such  conspiracy,"  and  the}'  were  declared  fully  exonerated 
and  indemnilied  (or  the  act.* 

In  April,  1780,  Colonel  Campbell  was  nromoteil  to  the 
full  rank  of  Colonel,  in  place  of  ICvan  Slie")y,  Sr.,  whose 
residence,  it  was  now  determined,  was  in  North  Carolina. 
He  served  a  term  in  the  House  of  Delegates  from  earlv  in 
May,  until  the  twentieth  of  June,  when  he  obtained  leave  of 
absence  for  the  remainder  of  the  session,  to  engage  in  an 
expedition  against  the  Chickamauga  towns.  Governor  Jef- 
ferson and  his  council  authorizing  him  to  embodv  two  hun- 
dred and  lifty  militia  from  M^ishington  and  Monlgoniery 
counties,  and  unite  with  a  conjunctive  Ibrce  from  the  Caro- 
linas.f 

Bnt  soon  after  his  return  home,  he  found  a  dangerons 
enemy  in  the  midst  of  the  white  settlements.  Two  hundred 
Tories  of  the  New  river  region,  within  what  is  now  Grayson 
County,  Virginia,  ami  Ashe  County,  North  Carolina,  had 
risen  in  arms,  with  some  British  ollicers  aiding  them,  with  a 
view  of  seizing  the  Lead  Mines,  near  the  present  Wytheville  ; 
when  Colonel  Campbell,  by  order  of  Colonel  Preston,  took 
the  field  in  Angust  at  tlie  head  of  one  hundred  and  ibrty  or 
lifty  men,  and  scoured  that  wild,  mountainous  country;  and 
at  a  place  known  as  the  Big  Glades,  or  Round  Meadows, 
approaching  a  large  party  ot  Tories,  the  latter  under  cover 
of  a  thick  fog,  fled,  dispersing  in  every  direction,  and  hiding 
themselves  in  the  mountains,  losinii  only  one  of  their  num- 


*Statement  of  Colonel  Samuel  Newell,  neccnihrro.  1S33,  in  Thr  Land  We  Love,  May 
1867;  MS.  Correspondence  of  Governor  D.  Campliell  and  John  li.  Dysiirt;  convtrsntions 
with  Colonel  )'atrirk  H.  Fontaine,  a  grandson  of  Patrick  Henry,  and  General  Thomas 
Love;  Henning's  St.ttutes  of  I'irginin.  x.  195.  In  Atkinson's  Casket,  for  September,  1835, 
is  an  interesting  story  founded  on  the  hanging  of  Hopkins,  having,  however,  but  little 
resemblance  to  the  real  facts  in  the  case. 

\  Journal  0/  /fouse  0/ Delegates,  1780;  Uibbcs'  Doc,  History,  1776-82,  p.  135. 


II 


■:  rnif 


m 


'  i 


e  presentee 

and  serving  faithfully  to  tlie  end  of  tlie  war,  which  he  de- 
clined, meeting  his  death  heroically.  Another  part}'  of 
Tories  was  disjtersed  above  the  Shallow  Ford  of  Yadkin.* 
Returning  from  this  expedition,  Colonel  Campbell  led 
four  hundred  brave  riflemen  from  Washiniiton  County 
across  the  Alleghanies  to  meet  Ferguson's  Rangers  and  the 
united  Tories  of  the  Carolinas.  Their  utter  discomfiture 
has  been  full}-  related  ;  and  too  much  praise  cannot  well  be 
acC(M-ded  to  "the  hero  of  Kin"-'s  Mountain"  for  his  u;al]ant 
bearing  during  the  campaign  gcnerallv,  and  especially  for 
his  heroic  conduct  in  the  batUe.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret, 
that  such  patriots  as  Shelby  and  Sevier  shoidd  have  been 
deceived  into  the  belief  that  the  chi\'alric  Campbell  shirked 
from  the  dangers  of  the  conflict,  mistaking,  as  they  did, 
the  Colonel's  servant  in  the  distance  for  the  Colonel   him- 


<' Colonel  William  Camplioll's  MSS.  ;  statement  of  John  Spoils,  who  was  out  in  this  ser- 
vice; MS.  Pension  statements  of  Colonel  Rohert  Love  and  James  Keys,  ofCampbell's  men; 
Gibbes'  JJoc.  History,  177O-82,  p.  137. 


m'  \ 


|i  f!'^ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


389 


n 


^- 


er- 
eii; 


self;  when  wrll-iiijrh  forty  survivors  of  tlu'batlK',  iiKliuling 
sotnc  of  Camphrirs  worlliii'sl  oll'iccrs,  aiul  men  of  Slirl- 
by's,  Scvii-r's,  and  Clevi'laiurs  ri'ifiiUL-nls  as  well,  tcslifyin*^, 
of  tliL'ir  own  kni)\vlc(l<^c,  to  his  prrsonal  shari*  in  liio  action, 
and  specifying  his  pr(.\sonce  in  rwry  part  of  tlie  hotl} -con- 
tested engagement,  from  the  beginning  to  the  tinal  surren- 
der of  the  enemy  at  (Uscretion.  It  is  evident  tliat  such 
heroes  as  Siiell)y  and  vSevier  liad  ([uite  enougii  to  do  within 
tlie  range  of  their  own  regiments,  without  being  able  to 
ol)si'r\e  ver\'  much  what  was  transj^iring  Ix'yond  them. 
And  wliat  .Shelln'  lionestly  supposed  was  a  \'ague  conl'es- 
sion  liy  Campbell  of  unaccounlable  conduct  on  his  part  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  action,  simpl}'  referreil  to  his  too  pre- 
cipitate order  to  lire  on  the  unresisting  TcM'ies  when  Col- 
onel Williams  had  been  shot  down  after  the  close  of  the 


contest.     IJut  in  such  a  victor\-,  without 


lUlJU 


sllv  delractinjf 


from  Campbell's  great  merits  and  rich  deservings,  tlu-n;  is 
both  honor  and  fame  enough  for  all  his  worthy  compatriots 
also.  *  It  may  be  jiroper  to  note,  that  the  sword  that  Col- 
onel Campbell  wielded  at  King's  Mountain,  and  subse- 
quently at  Guilford — his  trusty  Andrea  di  Ju-rraru — more 
than  a  century-  old,  was  used  by  his  Caledonian  ancestors 
in  the  wars  of  the  Pretenders,  and  is  N'et  preserved  by  his 
Preston  descendants,  f 

Colonel  Campbell  would  have  been  more  or  less  than 
mortal,  had  lu'  not  felt  a  sense  of  satisfaction  for  the  high 
praises  showered  upon  1  ini  and  his  associates  lor  the 
decisive  triumph  achieved  at  King's  Mountain — emanating 
from  Gates,  Washington,  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  and 
the  Continental  Congress.  The  latti'r  august  body  voted, 
diat  it  entertained  "  a  high  sense  of  the  spirited  and  mili- 


'■'Hoth  Colonel  William  M.irlin  ,in.|  F.lijuh  Crill.iWMy.  wlio  were  inliinalely  acqiiainted 
with  fnlnni.-l  Cleveland,  Mate  that  he  freiiurnlly  spnke  of  Cainphell's  K<'"il  deportment  in 
the  battle;  Majur  Lewis,  of  Cleveland's  regiment,  derlared  that,  had  it  not  hcen  for 
Campliell  and  his  Virginians  Keranson  would  have  remained  master  of  Kind's  Monntain  ; 
and  (iencral  l.ennir,  al:xj  of  Cleveland's  men.  testified  to  Camiihell's  gallant  (.onduct  in 
the  .iction. 

■^Coloncl  Arthur  Campbell's  Memoir;  Campbell's  llh/ory  of  \'irgiHiii,  i8(iu,  p.  700. 


I: 


4li^ 


I  '      5  f. 


wU 


II 
■I 


390 


K JAG'S  MOUNTAIA 


tary  cnndiict  of  C'nIoiu>l  CainphcH  "  ami  his  associates; 
while  tlu' Vii'Ljiiiia  I  louse  ol"  Delegates  voted  its  "thanks 
to  Colonel  Campbell,"  his  ollicers  and  soldiers,  for  tiieir 
patriotic  conduel  in  repairing  to  the  aid  of  a  distressed  sis- 
ter vState,  and  after  "  a  severe  and  bloody  conlliel,"  had 
achieved  a  (U>cisive  victory:  and  that  "a  good  liorst',  with 
I'li'gant  furniture,  and  a  sword,  be  purchasi'd  at  the  public 
exjiense,  and  pri'sented  to  Colonel  W'iliiaui  Campbell  as  a 
furtlu'r  testimony  of  the  high  sense  the  General  Assem- 
bly entertain  of  his  late  important  si-rx  ici's  to  his  country." 
To  these  high  compliments  of  the  Li-gislature,  Colonel 
Cam|ibi'll  returned  the  following  modest  acknowli'dgment : 

''Gentlemi'ii — I  am  inlinitely  hajipy  in  receiving  this 
public  testimony  of  the  approbation  u'^  my  country  for  my 
late  services  in  South  Carolina.  It  is  a  ri'ward  far  above 
my  expectations,  and  I  esteem  it  llie  noblest  a  soldier  can 
receive  from  a  virtuous  people.  Through  you,  gimtleinen, 
I  wish  to  communicate  the  hiifh  sense  I  hav(>  of  it  to  the 
House  of  D«.'legati"s.  I  owe,  under  l^rovidence,  much  to 
the  brave  ollicers  and  soldiers  who  served  with  me  ;  and  I 
shall  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  transiTiitling  the 
resolve  of  your  House  to  them,  who.  I  am  pei-suaded,  will 
experience  all  the  honest  heart-felt  satisfaction  I  myself 
feel  on  this  occasion."  * 

Now  hurr\ing  to  his  frontier  home  on  the  Ilolston,  he 
fountl  that  the  restless  Cherokees  had  again  been  at  their 
bloody  work,  and  Colonel  Arlluu'  Campbell  had  in  Decem- 
ber, 1780,  aided  by  Colonel  Sevier  and  Major  Martin,  led 
forth  a  strong  force  for  their  chastisement.  Colonel  Will- 
iam Campbi  II  at  once  raised  additional  troops,  and  marched 
as  far  as  the  Long  Island  of  Ilolston,  \  to  succor  his  kins- 
man if  need  be  ;  but  it  was  not  necessary,  for  the  Chero- 

'■' Journals  of  Congress,  1780.  367;  Journal  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Delegates,  1780, 
Kail  session,  pp.  13,  18.  The  Viryiiiia  I.enisI;Uiirc  siibscqiKMitly  called  a  Couiuy  afier  liiiii, 
to  perpetuate  liis  name  and  memory. 

•)■  MS  correspondence  of  Colonel  Wlllinm  Mariin,  one  of  William  Campbell's  men,  and 
of  Governor  D.  Campbell;  Haywood's  Tennessee,  ^^. 


l.liL 


w 


m 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


31)1 


kecs  were  pursued  in  dctiiclied  partii's  by  their  invaders, 
many  of  lluir  wiuriors  wcrt.'  kilK  d,  and  tlu-ir  settleinuntji 
desolaU'd. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  January,  1781,  General  Greene  wrote 
to  "the  famous  Colonrl  William  Campbilj,"  rcinindinj.f  him 
of  iIil:  glory  he  hail  already  aci[uirj.'d,  and  urgin,!.f  him  "to 
bring,  wiUiout  loss  of  lime,  a  thousand  good  volunteers 
from  oNcr  llu'  mountains."  Notwithstanding  the  Clu-rokees 
were  slill  troubk'somo,  anil  llnx-alcning  thi>  Ironlicrs,  the 
noted  Logan,  \\ilh  a  northern  band,  was  connniliing  depre- 
dations on  Clinch,  while  others  were  doing  mischief  in 
Powell's  Valley,  yet  Colonel  Campbell  raised  over  a  hun- 
dred of  his  gallant  riflemen,  and  moved  forward  on  Feb- 
rnar}'^  twenty-lifth,*  others  joining  him  on  the  way,  until 
he  broughl  (ieneral  Greene,  about  the  second  of  March,  a 
re-inforcement  of  over  lour  lumdreil  mounlaiui-ers.  f  Lord 
Cornvvallis  had  imbibed  a  personal  resentmcTit  towards 
Colonel  Campbell,  as  the  connnander  at  King's  Mountain, 
threatening  Unit  should  he  fall  into  his  hands,  he  would 
have  him  inslanth'  put  to  death  for  his  rigor  against  the 
Tories — evidently  designing  to  hold  him  personally  respon- 
sible tor  the  execution  of  the  Tory  leaders  at  BickerstatV's. 
This,  instead  of  intimidating,  had  the  contrary  eflect ;  and 
Campbell,  in  turn,  resolved,  if  the  fortunes  of  war  should 
place  Connvallis  in  his  power,  he  should  meet  the  fate 
of  Ferguson.  X 

Could  anything  have  served  to  give  additional  sjiirit  to 
Colonel  Canipbi'll,  anil  nerve  him  to  almost  superhuman 
exertions,  it  was  just  such  a  dastardly  threat  as  that  uttered 
by  Lord  Cornwallis.  Campbell  and  his  men  were  soon 
called  into  action.  Taking  aihantage  of  a  thick  fog.  Lord 
Cornwallis  sent  forward  a  strong  force  to  beat  up  the  quar- 
ters of  Greene's  advance  jiarties — or,  as  Greene  supposed. 


*  Caltndar  0/  I'iixinia  State  l\i/',-rs,  543,  555. 

\  Calemiar  of  I'hgiiiia  State  l'a/>irs,  542;  Johnson's  Cretne,  i,  438. 

t  Colonel  Arthur  tanip'oclls  memoir  of  General  Vv'illiam  CanipLiell. 


!  1 


,< 


592 


KING 'S  MO  UXTAIN 


either  to  intercept  his  stores,  or  cut  off  the  Light  Infantry, 
inchuling  the  ri^emen,  from  the  main  body.  Tlicse  advance 
cohimns  met  at  Whitzell's  Mills,  on  Rcody  creek,  some 
seven  miles  from  Greene's  camp,  \vht;re  Colonel  Otho  IT. 
Williams,  Avith  Campbell's  and  Preston's  riflemen,  and 
Washington's  and  Lee's  corps,  fornied  on  the  southern 
bank  of  the  stream,  in  front  of  the  ford,  and  some  two 
liundred  yards  below  the  mill.  The  main  object  was  to 
protect  the  mill  as  long  as  possible,  and  enable  Greene's 
provision  wagons  to  load  with  flour  and  meal,  and  get  off 
with  the  needed  supply,  which  they  barely  effected  As 
the  British,  with  their  short  Yager  rillomen  in  front,  ap- 
proached, they  fired  in  the  distance;  and  when  within 
eighty  yards,  descending  towards  the  ok,  the  American 
riflemen  opened  on  them  with  deadly  eflect,  one  of  the 
oflicers  of  the  enemy,  when  shot,  bounding  up  several  feet, 
fell  dead  ;  a  second  discharge  on  the  advancing  fie,  when 
only  some  forty-five  }ards  ofl',  was  also  ver}'  destructive. 
The  enemy  had  opened  their  field  pieces,  but,  like  the  fire 
of  their  small  arms,  was  too  high,  and  only  took  eflect 
among  the  limbs  of  the  trees.  As  the  atmosphere  was 
heavy,  the  powder  smoke  obstructed  the  enemy's  view ; 
w'hile  the  Americans,  below  them,  had  abetter  opportunit3^ 
The  fighting  was  ehieOy  done  b}-  the  riflemen,  and  Lee's 
Legion,  while  covered  bv  the  reinflars ;  and  ''Colonel 
Campbell,"  says  J(jhn  Craig,  one  of  his  riflemen,  "acted 
with  his  usual  courage." 

Having  accomplished  the  ol-jjcct  the}'  had  in  \  lew — the 
security  of  the  flour  and  meal, — the  Americans  retired 
over  the  ford,  which  was  some  thrc>e  feet  deep,  with  a  r:ipid 
current,  over  a  slippery,  rocky  bottom,  with  a  steep  brushy 
bank  on  the  northern  shore  to  ascend.  While  etfecting  this 
passage,  the  ;.>;allant  Majt>r  Joseph  Cloyd,  of  Preston's  rifle- 
men, observed  his  old  commander  on  foot,  who  had  been 
unhorsed  in  the  conflict,  and  dismounting,  aided  Colonel 
Preston,  who  was  now  ad\anced  in  years  and  quite  fleshy, 
into    the    saddle,  when  both   escaped.*     "The  enemy," 

*MS.     notes  of  conversations  willi   Thomas    Hickman,  of    Oavidson    County,    Ten- 


W) 


AXD  ITS  HEROES. 


393 


if^ii 


'y\ 


said  Gemral  Greene,  ''were  handsomely  opposed,  and  suf- 
fered considerably.  " 

After  no  little  manoeuvring,  the  battle  of  Guilford  took 
place  on  the  fifteenth  of  March.  It  was  brought  on  b}'  a 
.sharp  action,  in  the  morning,  b}'  the  advance,  consist- 
ing of  Lee's  Legion,  and  a  ptjrtion  of  Campbeirs  riflemen — 
in  which  Lee  was  supposed  to  have  indicted  a  loss  of  iifty 
on  the  part  of  Tarlet'jn  ;  while  the  Light  Infantry  of  the 
Guards  were  so  hard  pressed  by  the  riflemen,  losing  a  hun- 
dred of  their  munber,  that  a  portion  of  Tarleton's  cavalry 
went  to  their  relief.  In  die  main  batde  that  so()n  followed, 
Lee's  Legion  and  Campbell's  riflemen  ibrmed  the  corps  of 
observation  on  the  left  flank — the  rillemen  occupving  a 
woodland  position.  During  the  obstinate  contest,  Camp- 
bell's corps  fought  with  the  heroic  bravery  cliaracteristic  of 
their  noble  leader,  and  of  their  own  unrivalled  reputation. 
When  the  enemy  charged  the  Maryland  Line,  Campbell 
with  his  riflemen  made  a  spirited  attack  on  the  regiment 
of  Bozc,  on  the  British  right  wing,  and  dro\e  it  back  ;  and 
when  the  riflemen,  in  turn,  were  charged  witli  tlie  bavonet, 
having  none  to  repel  them,  they  were  obliged  for  the 
moment  to  retire,  still  loading  and  liring.  however,  on 
their  pursuers,  and  thus,  whether  charging  or  retiring, 
kept  up  a  destructive  fire  on  these  veteran  German  sub- 
sidiaries. So  severely  did  Campb"irs  riflemen  handle 
his  right  wing,  tliat  Lord  Cornwallis  was  obliged  to  order 
Tarleton  to  extricate  it,  and  bring  it  ofl'.  By  this  time  Lee 
had  retired  with  his  cavalry,  without  apprising  Campbell  of 
his  movement ;  and  die  result  was,  that  the  riflemen  were 
swept  from  the  field.* 


nessee,  and  IMnjor  Iloindon  HarnN'ni,  of  lirownsville,  Tennessee,  in  1844.  and  Bcnjatniji 
Starritt,  all  pariicipants  in  the  action  ;  Tarleton's  Cniii/'uigiis,  135  ;  Stedman,  ii,  336;  Lee  s 
Memoirs,  revised  ed.,  265-C7  ;  Greene,  in  LcttoSto  Washington,  iii,  260;  Johnson  s  Cheinc, 
i,  463-03;  Greene's  (,treiii>.  iii,  iS3. 

*MS.  Notes  of  conversa.ions  with  Benjamin  Stririitl,  of  I.ec's  I.cyion;  Tarlni  n's 
CrJ>«/rt/|f«i-,  270-71,  J75-76;  Piedinan,  with  MS  inar;;iii.il  notes  by  Captain  J.  U.  \\  hitfurd, 
ii,  337,  343;  Lee's  Afi-mairs  new  od.,  276-83;  Johnson  Crrene,  ii,  6;  Lossing's  /'I'liii  /look, 
ii,  402.  403;  liancroti,  x,  47  ,q  ;  Dawson's  lui/ilt's,  ii,  663-07.  MS.  Letter  o*"  Hoji.  W.  C. 
Preston,  to  the  author,  July  lulh,  1840. 


it 


1  ■  i 


Mi'i" 


p^w 

•  1 

1 

'  f 

'  f 

'   \  '' 

I' 

I 


n 


w 


I 


hi 


i  I, 


391 


KIA'G'S  MOUNTAIN 


T^ce  commciuUHl  CdIoih'I  Campbt'll  for  llie  bravery  dis- 
phiyod  in  tlic  aciion  liy  liis  battalion  ;  and  Greene  assured 
him,  that  his  "faithCul  services"  claimed  his  General's 
waniu'st  thanks,  and  liis  "entire  a|)probation  of  his  con- 
duct"— adding":  "Sensible  of  your  merit,  1  feel  a  pleasure 
in  doing"  justice  to  it."  Dispk-ased  with  the  treatment  shown 
to  himself  and  rillemen — who  wi're  the  first  in  tlii'  engage- 
ment, and  tile  last  in  tht'  Held — Campbell  ri'tired  in  disgust 
from  tlie  se-rvice.  At  his  home  on  the  Ilolston,  he  an- 
nouiu'ed  hunsi'lf,  on  the  thirly-lirst  of  March,  as  a  candi- 
date foi"  the  House  of  Delegates,  saving  :  ""^i'lie  resignation 
of  my  military  commission,  which  I  could  not  longer  hold 
with  honor,  afti.-r  the  treatment  I  ha\-e  received,  puts  it  out 
of  my  po\M>r  to  serve  my  country  as  an  oflicer.  "*  Camp- 
bell and  his  men  telt  deeply  aggrieved — feeling  that  Lee 
had  abi'jidoned  them  without  notice,  and  left  them  to  main- 
tain iht,'  uni'(jiial  eontt;st  unprotected  b}'  cavalry,  when 
Tarleton  direcleil  his  dragoons  against  them. 

"  Vou  have  no  doubt  observed,"  wrote  General  William 
R.  Davie,  "  that  Campbell's  regiment  of  riflemen  acted 
with  Lee  on  the  left  flank  of  the  arm}-.  Af'ter  the  main 
body  of  tlie  army  liad  been  puslied  ofl'  the  Held,  these 
troops  rcmaiiu'd  engaged  with  the  Y  igers  of  the  regiment 
of  Bo/.e,  near  the  Couit  House,  some  of  them  c(jvered  by 
houses,  others  by  a  skirt  of  thick  wood.  In  this  situation, 
they  were  charged  by  the  British  cavaliv,  and  some  of 
them  were  cut  down.  Lee's  cavalry  were  drawn  up  on  the 
edge  of  the  open  ground,  above;  the  Court  House,  about 
two  hundrid  yartls  ofl",  and,  as  Colonel  Campbell  asserted, 
moved  as  this  charge  was  made  on  his  riflemen.  On  the 
day  after  the  action,  Campbell  was  extremely  indignant  at 
this  movement,  and  spoke  freely  of  Lee's  conduct.  Lee 
was,  however,  sent  ofl'  the  same  day,  to  watch  the  enemy's 
movements,  and  Campbell's  regiment  were  soon  dis- 
charged." t 


*MS.  Letter  of  Colonel  CamphcU  to  Colonel  iJaniel  Smith,  on   Clinch. 
-{- Jciliiison's  Gtrrfte,  ii,  16-17,  ^o. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


395 


"Tree's  abiuulonnn'iit,  of  CaniplH>irs  riflrmiMi,"  said  tlu" 
late  William  C.  Picsloii,  >••  at  twilight,  atul  without  i;ivin<r 
notice  of  his  withdrawal,  was  lon^'  ix'tfardcd  by  the  survi- 
vors witli  the  most  bitter  feeliiiifs,  whieh  were  subsi-(|nentlv 


revived  b\'  the  manner  in  which  lie  sun 


k  tl 


WW  ser\  icrs  an* 


Ins. 


sullerin^s  in  his  published   account  of  the  l">aldc'."  * 

at    least,  is  expressive  oi'  the  sentiments   of  Campbell    and 


ns  men 


and,  at  this  late  dav,  it   is   dilFicult  to   (U'termi 


ne 


\v 


hether  Lee  was  I'xcusabie,  or  culpable,  for  tlu>  course  lie 


nir 


pursued.  But  well-merited  compliments  and  soothi 
words,  on  the  part  of  (ient'ral  (rreiMU',  did  not  clianj^e 
Colonel  CampbelTs  determination  to  withdraw  from  the 
service.  He  accordinnly  left  camp  on  tiie  mornini;'  of  the 
twentieth  ;  and  returning;-  home  rt'sioiied  his  commission  in 
the  militia. 

Colonel  Campbell,  as  tlu'  oldest  s(M-vinL,f  Justice  in  the 
County  Court,  became  entiUed  lo  a  term  of  the  odice  of 
SherifV,  but  declined  tlu'  position,  lie  was  chosen  lo  rep- 
resent Washinj^ton  County  in  the  House  ol'  Delei^ates. 
The  General  Assembly  conveni'd  at  Richnn)nd  early  in 
Ma}'  of  this  yi'ar ;  but  owing  to  the  approach  of  the  enemy, 
they  adjourned  tc;  meet  at  Charlottesville  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  liuit  month  ;  and,  on  June  the  tourth,  they  were 
compelled  hurriedly  to  adjourn  to  Staunton  to  escape  cap- 
ture by  Tarleton.  During  the  sessioii,  disturbed  as  it  was, 
much  important  jmblic  business  was  transacted.  Colonel 
Campbell  was  placi'il  on  several  of  the  leading  committees, 
associated  will)  Patrick  Ilenr^'  and  other  jirominent 
patiiots — on  privileges  and  elections,  the  establishment  of 
martial  law,  and  amendatory  of  tin'  mililia  ail.  (Jeneral 
Morga.i  was  again  I'alU'd  into  ser\ice  by  tlu-  I^i'gislature  ; 
and  a  lew  days  later,  on  the  fourteeinh  of  JuiU',  tlu'  House 
of  Delegates  chose  Colonel  Campbell  a  lirigadier  (leiieral 
of  the  militia,  to  serve;  under  Mar([uis  l)e  La  I'ayette,  then 
conmianding    in  V'irginia,  which  was  concurred   in   b}-   the 

*  MS.  letter  to  the  .iiitlior,  July  lutli,   1840. 


%   \ 


.  n 


\  W' 


Hill 


iitf- 


!  A 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Senate  the  following  day.  On  the  sixteenth,  General 
Campbell  obtained  leave  of  absence  for  the  remainder  of 
the  session,  and  at  once  repaired  to  La  Fayette's  camp  for 
service.  He  became  a  favorite  of  that  gallant  nobleman, 
who  assigned  him  to  the  connnand  of  a  brigade  of  light 
intantrv  and  rillemen.  '■'' 

While  General  Campbell  was  temporarily  absent,  and 
his  corps  was  encamped  at  some  point  in  Cumberland 
County,  a  Parson  McCrea,  of  the  old  established  church, 
who  liad  drawn  his  salary  in  tobacco  lor  many  a  ^•ear 
visited  the  camp,  and  plied  his  best  arguments  to  discoura<'-e 
the  men,  representing  that  the  great  strength  of  Cornwallis' 
army  would  enable  them  to  slaughter  the  feeble  American 
force  like  so  manv  beeves.  General  Camnbell  returning, 
and  hearing  of  this  insolent  visit,  sent  a  detail  of  men  to 
apprehend  the  inter-meddling  Parson;  and  se\ere]v  repri- 
manded him  for  his  unpatriotic  conduct,  saN'ing  his  age 
alone  excused  him  from  corporal  punishment ;  "■  but  we 
will  show  you,"'  added  the  General,  "how  we  intend  to 
serve  Cornwallis."  lie  then  ordered  the  Torv  clercryman 
to  prostrate  himself  flat  on  his  belly  across  the  road,  when 
every  soldier  stepped  over  him  on  their  marcli.  We  are 
afraid  the  good  man  left  in  too  dl  a  humor  to  properly  pray 
for  his  enemies. 

From  tlie  pul^lished  histories,  and  the  gazettes  of  that 
day,  it  would  not  appear  tluit  General  Campbell  had  any 
share  in  the  battle  of  Jamestown  Ford,  fought  on  die  sixth 
of  July,  mainly  by  Wayne's  brigade  :  yet  a  siu'vivor  of 
La  Fayette's  army  stated  tliat  Campbell  particijiated  in  die 
attack,  and  fell  back  fighting  as  he  retired.!  Tlis  riflemen, 
perhaps,  formed  the  reserve  of  Wayne's  attacking  party  ; 
for  some  of  his  riflemen  wcM-e  wounded,  and  Colonel  Joiin 
Boyer,  of  his  i-ifle  corps,  from   Rockbridge  County,  was 


*  Journ,t;s  of  the   Virs:i„i,i  F.^^h/nlnre.  1781 ;  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell's  memoir. 
t  MS.  notes  of  ronversi.tions  with  Reverend  James  Haynes,  near  Paris,  Tenn.,  in  1844, 
then  eighty-four  years  of  age. 


fitiatiatmammm 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


397 


made  a  prisoner  by  the  enemy.  Thoui^fli  Cornwallis 
iifTected  tlie  most  liuuglity  contempt  for  '■•the  boy"  La- 
Fayette,  he  must  have  had  some  respect  for  Wayne,  the 
hero  of  Stony  l\)int,  for  Campbell,  who  liad  taken  a  little 
detached  ami}-  from  liim  at  King's  Mountain,  and  for 
Morgan,  who  had  handled  his  detachment  under  Tarleton 
so  roughly  at  the  Cowpens. 

While  Cornwallis  was  encamped  at  Williamsburg,  and 
La  Fayette  six  miles  distant  on  the  road  leadiu'^  to  Rich- 
mond,  General  Campbell,  in  command  of  the  light  troops, 
usually  kept  a  picket  guard  of  a  d(»zon  or  tifleen  of  his 
mounted  men  at  the  Three  Burnt  Chimne3-s,  about  niidwa}' 
between  the  hostile  camps.  For  several  successive  morn- 
ings the  enemy  would  send  out  a  superior  body  of  horsemen, 
and  drive  in  the  American  picket.  Campbell  determined  to 
profit  by  this  experience.  A  short  distance  in  the  rear 
of  the  Burnt  Chimneys  was  a  fine  grove  by  the  road-side, 
surromuling  a  church.  In  this  grove  Campbell  posted  a 
large  detachment  of  mounted  rillemcn,  himself  at  their 
head  ;  and  placed  the  customary  picket  at  the  Burnt  Chim- 
neys, with  directions  to  retire  on  the  a]")proach  of  the 
expected  British  cavalry  earh'  in  the  morning.  The 
enemy,  as  usual,  hotly  pursued  the  fleeing  Americans 
under  whip  and  spur,  imtil  they  reached  the  grove,  when  an 
unexpected  volley  of  rifle  balls  unhorsed  a  goodh'  number 
of  the  astonished  Britons — killing  some  twenty  or  more  of 
their  cavalry  men,  and  thirty  or  forty  of  their  horses.  The 
survivors  fled  back  in  dismay,  and  the  picket  at  the  Burnt 
Chimneys  was  no  more  anno^'ed.  * 

But  General  Campbt^lTs  services  were  destined  to  a 
sudden  termination.  Taken  \\ith  a  complaint  in  his  breast, 
lie  was  conveyed  to  the  residence  of  Colonel  John  Syme.  his 
wife's  half  brother,  at  Rocky  Mills,  in  Hanover  County, 
where,  after  a  few  days'  illness,  he  expired,  August  the 


\) 


*  MS.  notes  of  convrrs:itions.   In  January,  1844,  with  James  Givens,  one  of  Camplicll's 
men,  then  in  his  eightieth  year. 


W 

'•>' 


%■  u.. 


398 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


twentv-sc'cond,  1781,  in  liis  tliirh'-sixth  j^ear.  When 
La  Favette  received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  friend, 
he  issued  a  General  Order  announcing  the  sad  event,  char- 
acterizing General  Campbell  as  "  an  ofllcer  whose  services 
must  have  endeared  him  to  every  cidzen,  and  in  particular 
to  every  American  soldier.  The  glory  which  General 
Campliell  has  acquired  in  the  aflairs  of  King's  Mountain 
and  Ciuilford  Court  House,  will  do  his  memor}'  everlasting 
honor,  and  insure  him  a  high  rank  among  the  defenders 
of  liberty  in  the  American  cause;'"  General  La  Fayette 
reirretdni;  diat  tlie  funeral  was  so  ^rcat  a  distance  from  the 
army,  as  to  deprive  him  and  his  oflicers  the  privilege  of 
paying  to  General  Campbell  the  honors  due  to  his  rank, 
and  "particularly  to  his  merit,"  and  deputing  four  field 
oflicers  to  repair  to  Rocky  Mills  and,  in  behalf  of  the  army, 
pay  him  their  last  tribute  of  respect. 

Here  his  remains  reposed  until  1823,  when  his  relatives 
had  them  removed  to  his  old  Aspcnvale  homestead  on  the 
Ilolston,  in  now  Sm3-th  County,  beside  his  mother,  little  son, 
and  other  relatives,  and  where  a  neat  monument  was  erect- 
ed to  his  memorv.  His  widow,  a  son,  and  a  daughter 
survived  him — the  widow  subsequenth'  uniting  in  marriage 
with  General  William  Russell  ;  the  son  died  young ;  the 
daughter,  Sarah,  became  the  wife  of  General  Francis  Pres- 
ton, and  mother  of  Hon.  William  C.  Preston,  General 
John  S.  Preston,  and  Colonel  Thomas  L.  Preston.  Gen- 
eral Campbell's  widow  died  in  November,  1825,  aged  about 
eighty  ;  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Preston,  died  at  Abingdon, 
Virginia,  July  twenty-third,  1846,  at  the  age  of  nearly 
seventy  years. 

There  was  something  akin  to  rivalry  between  Colonel 
Arthur  Campbell  and  his  brother-in-law,  William  Camp- 
bell, whose  sister  Margaret  he  had  married.  She  was  a 
woman  of  excellent  mind,  and  of  uncommon  beautv  and 
sprightliness  ;  and  withal  she  possessed  no  little  ambition, 
which   she    endeavored    to    turn    to    good    account  in    her 


L 

% 

m    . 

■'^^       i     U -Ji 

-'^-'-r---^      ■■       ^'     •-    -^ 


pnel 
Itnp- 
lis  a 

land 

|ion, 
her 


ylNI>  ITS  HEROES. 


399 


husband's  behalf.  This  youncf  wife  encouraged  liim  in  all 
his  plans  b}'  wliich  he  ini<^ht  acquire  distinction  as  a  public 
man.  ITer  whole  mind  seemed  completely  absorbed  in 
this  one  great  object  of  her  life,  to  which  every  other  must 
bend;  no  privation,  liowever  great,  annoyed  her  in  the 
smallest  degree,  if  she  believed  it  would  contribute;  to  the  ac- 
quirement of  either  militarv  or  ci\il  reputation  for  her  hus- 
band. Iler  extreme  solicitude  and  promptings  to  push  him 
lip  the  ladder  of  fame,  caused  him  sometimes  to  make  false 
steps,  and  involved  him  in  unnecessary  altercations  with 
his  brother-in-law  and  others.  Except  these  ambitious  ef- 
forts, and  tluy  were  alwavs  promoted  in  a  manner  to  grat- 
ify her  husband,  she  was  among  the  most  exenqilarv  of 
women,  never  having  a  thought  in  opposition  to  his  upon 
an}'  subject,  and  believing  him  to  be  the  greatest  man  in 
the  country-,  not  excepting  her  brother,  of  whose  abilities 
she  entertaint'd  a  very  exalted  opinion.* 

Colonel  Arthur  Campbi-ll  was  some  three  3'ears  the 
senior  of  William  Campbell  ;  this  fact,  and  his  having  been 
in  }-outh  a  prisoner  with  the  Indians,  had  given  him  the 
precedence  in  martial  alTairs.  His  military  talents,  how- 
ever, were  not  of  tlie  hrst  order,  while  William  Campbell 
thought  that  the  experience  he  liad  gained  on  the  Point 
Pleasant  campaign,  and  during  his  3-ear\s  service  in  the 
Williamsburg  region,  in  1775-76,  fairl}-  entitled  him  to  lead 
his  brother-in-law,  who  woidd  not  acquiesce  in  this  view, 
and  jealousies  were  the  consequence,  and  sometimes  open 
ruptures.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  sort  of  quasi  un- 
derstanding between  them,  that  they  should  take  turns  in 
commanding  the  Washington  force  on  military  expeditions 
against  the  enemy.  While  Colonel  William  Campbell  led 
the  troops  against  the  Tories  up  New  river,  the  men  com- 
posing the  c.(mimand  were  only  in  part  from  W;ishington 
Countv  ;  and,  hence  he  was  permitted  to  go  on  tiie  King's 
Mountain  campaign,    heartily  seconded  in   his  efforts   by 

♦MS.  letter  of  Gov.  navid  Campbell  to  the  author,  IJcc.  t2,  1840. 


;^; 


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KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


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Colonel  Arthur  Campbell.  The  hitler  led  the  expedition 
in  Deceiiil-)er  followin;^  against  the  Cherokees ;  and  when, 
shortly  at'ter,  \Villiam  Caniplxdl  received  the  urgent  in- 
vitation from  General  Greeni,"  to  join  him  with  a  band  of 
riflemen,  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell  interposed  objections, 
nominally  on  the  ground  of  dan^rer  from  the  Indians,  but 
probably  prompted  in  fact  somewhat  by  his  jealous}- of  his 
brother-in-law's  growing  lame  as  a  leader  in  expeditions 
against  the  enemy. 

General  Campbell  had  a  \er3'  imposing  personal  ap- 
pearance— the  />('(r/r  ideal  of  a  military  chieftain  with  those 
who  ser\-ed  uiuler  him.  He  was  about  six  feet,  two  inches 
high,  possessing  a  large,  muscular,  well-proporliMiied  frame 
— rather  raw-boned  ;  with  an  iron  constitution,  capable  of  al- 
most incredible  endurance — and  he  was  asstraiurht  as  an  In- 
dian.  I  lis  complexion  was  ruddy,  with  light  colored  or  red- 
dish hair,  and  bright  blue  e}es.  His  countenance  presented 
a  serious — nay,  stern  appearance  ;  and  wlien  not  excited  ex- 
pressive of  great  benevolence  ;  but  when  his  ire  was  stirred, 
he  exhibited  the  fury  of  an  Achilles.  On  such  occasions  he 
would  commit  violent  and  indiscreet  acts  ;  he  was,  however, 
easily  calmed,  particularly  when  approached  by  tliosc  in 
whom  he  reposed  confidence — to  such  he  would  yield  his 
opinions  widiout  the  slightest  opposition.  In  conversation 
he  was  reserved  and  thoughtful ;  in  his  written  communica- 
tions, expressive  and  elegant.  He  was  bland  in  his  man- 
ners, and  courteous  to  all  with  whom  he  had  interccjurse, 
whether  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor.  At  preaching  in  the 
country,  it  was  his  constant  custom  to  look  around  after  ser- 
mon was  ended,  and  assist  all  the  women  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, especially  the  more  aged,  who  were  not  attended, 
on  their  liorses. 

Of  Scottish  descent,  he  inherited  the  j^rinciples  and 
predilccdons  of  his  persecuted  Presbv'terian  ancestors 
of  that  northern  land.  His  religious  zeal — certainly  in 
theor}' — and   his  devotion  to  liberty,  were  alike  deep,  fer- 


Ill 

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AKD  ITS  HEROES. 


401 


vent,  and  exclusive.  In  his  domestic  and  social  relations, 
he  was  the  most  amiabh^  of  men.  He  wor.ld  send  his  ser- 
\'ants  to  aid  a  poor  neighbor,  while  he  would  iiimself  plow 
through  the  heat  of  the  day  in  his  fields,  gi\ing  his  spare 
moments  to  his  Bible  and  his  God,  endeavoring  scrupu- 
lously to  live  up  to  the  golden  rule  in  all  his  dealings  with 
his  fellow  men.  But  he  set  his  face  like  a  flint  against  the 
enemies  of  his  country  and  of  freedom,  proving  himself 
almost  as  inflexible  as  a  Claverhouse  or  a  Cumberland 
toward  those  who  betrayed  or  deserted  the  holy  cause  for 
which  he  contended,  and  for  which  he  died. 

But  it  was  as  a  military  genius  that  he  shone  preeminent. 
lie  had  the  ability  to  form  able  plans — confidence  in  him- 
self, and  indefatigable  perseverance  to  execute  them  ;  and 
the  rare  capacity  to  inspire  all  under  his  command  with  his 
own  conlidence  and  indomitable  courage.  Had  he  acted 
on  as  conspicuous  a  stage  as  Warren  or  Montgomery,  his 
name  and  fame  would  have  been  as  illustrious  as  theirs. 
With  inferior  numbers  of  undisciplined  volunteers,  em- 
bodied with  great  celerity,  led  forth,  with  scanty  supplies, 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  over  rugged  mountains,  he 
totally  defeated  Ferguson,  one  of  the  most  experienced  and 
enterprising  of  the  British  partisan  leaders — gaining,  as  he 
expressed  it,  "  victory  to  a  wish."  At  Guilford  he  fully 
sustained  his  high  reputation,  and  had  the  North  Carolina 
militia  behaved  with  the  firmness  and  courage  equal  to  his 
riflemen,  the  army  of  Cornwallis  would  not  have  been 
crippled  only,  but  would,  in  all  probability,  have  met  with 
irretrievable  disaster. 

General  Campbell  never  balanced  between  military  duty 
and  prudential  maxims.  Himself  a  hater  of  vice  and 
treason  in  every  form,  he  was  by  some  deemed  too  severe 
in  punishing  the  deviations  of  others — yet  his  acts,  in  his 
own  estimation,  were  the  result  of  the  purest  patriotic 
impulses.  Wherever  the  story  of  King's  Mountain  and 
Guilford    is   read,    and    the  services    of  their  heroes  full}' 

36 


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402 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


appreciated,  it  will  bo  foiincl  that  William  Campbell  has 
"purpled  o'er  his  name  with  deathless  glory." 


Of  such  of  General  Campbell's  officers  as  served  with 
him  at  King's  Mountain,  and  concerning  whom  facts  have 
been  obtained,  brief  notices  will  be  made.  Maj'M-  William 
Edmondson — or  Edmiston,  as  frequently  written  in  early 
clays — the  second  in  command  of  the  Virginia  regiment  in 
the  battle,  was  descended  from  Irish  ancestry,  and  born  in 
Cecil  County,  Maryland,  in  1734.  While  he  was  yet 
young,  his  fatlier  removed  to  what  is  now  Rockbridge 
County,  Virginia,  where  he  grew  to  years  of  manhood, 
receiving  a  limited  education.  He  early  engaged  in  the 
old  French  and  Indian  war. 

Learning  of  Colonel  Byrd's  expedition  down  the  IIol- 
ston,  destined  against  the  Cherokees,  in  1760,  William 
Edmondson,  and  his  brother  Samuel,  concluded  to  enlist, 
so  as  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  examine  the  lands 
of  the  Ilolston  country  with  a  view  to  future  settlement. 
While  on  this  service,  William  Edmondson  was  guilty 
of  the  high  crime  of  addressing  an  olTiccr  without  taking 
off  his  hat,  as  was  required  of  all  soldiers,  for  which  he 
was  severel}''  rebuked,  and  threatened  with  punishment. 
Reaching  his  comrades  in  great  wrath,  Edmondson  loaded 
his  rifle,  and  swore  he  would  shoot  the  officer  \N'ho  had  so 
grossly  insulted  him  ;  and  it  was  with  great  diffitult3%  that 
his  brother  dissuaded  him  from  it.  One  of  the  Virginia 
officers,  who  knew  Edmondson,  wrote  to  Governor  Fau- 
quier, that  there  was  a  high  spirited  soldier  in  his  corps, 
who,  unless  commissioned,  was  likely  to  get  into  trouble,  f 
On  the  first  of  August,  in  that  year,  the  Governor  sent 


'■'These  salient  points  in  the  character  of  General  Campliell  are  drawn  from  Colonel 
Arthur  Campbell's  memoir;  Governor  D.  Campbell's  MS.  correspondence;  and  the  recol- 
lections of  Colonel  Walter  Lewis,  who  had  served  under  him,  in  Atkinson's  Casket,  Sep- 
tember, 1833,  387. 

■J- MS.  letter  of  Hon.  Benjamin  Estill,  August  siitt,  1S45.  , 


iilH 


11 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


4(« 


him  an  Ensi;^n'.s  commission  to  serve  on  tluit  expedition. 
Hut  when  Byrd  got  pretty  well  down  the  Valley,  he  took  to 
camp,  but  made  no  further  progress  during  that  nor  tl.e 
following  year.  In  176.^,  Governor  Fauquier  sent  Edniond- 
son  a  commission  of  Lieutenant  in  the  militia. 

Having  married  a  Miss  Montgomer}',  he  removed,  after 
the  war,  t(j  the  New  river  frontiers,  in  now  Gra}son  Count}' ; 
and  subsequently  to  what  now  constitutes  Washington  Comi- 
ty, settling  on  a  tract  of  land  received  for  his  military  ser- 
vices. In  1774  he  was  commissioned  a  Lieutenant  in  the 
militia  of  Fincastle  County,  served  on  the  frontiers  of 
Clinch  and  Sandy,  and  probably  in  Christian's  regiment  on 
the  expedition  to  Point  Pleasant  and  the  Scioto:  and,  in 
1776,  he  was  made  a  Captain,  and  served  on  the  campaign 
against  the  Cherokces  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  In  1777,  he 
was  appointed  a  Justice,  and  failed  only  a  few  votes  of  an 
election  to  the  Ilotise  of  Delegates.  He  was,  this  year, 
selected  b}'  the  Legislature  one  of  the  commissioners  tor 
taking  depositions  against  the  claim  of  Henderson  and 
Company  to  die  Kentuck}-  country.  During  1777,  he  was 
in  service  when  the  treaty  was  held  at  Long  Island  of  Hol- 
ston,  and  was  much  engaged,  in  1778,  in  giuuding  the 
fronders.  Early  in  1779,  he  commanded  a  conipau}-  on 
Colonel  Evan  Shelb3''s  Chickamauga  expedition  ;  and  early 
in  1 780,  he  was  promoted  to  Major  of  the  Washington  regi- 
ment, serving  on  the  expedition  against  the  Tories  on  New 
river,  and  then  on  the  King's  Mountain  campaign.  At  the 
close  of  the  year  he  joined  Colonel  W^illiam  Campbell's 
force,  marching  to  the  Long  Island  of  Holston.  He  was 
advanced  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  1781,  and  in  1783  to  a 
full  Colonel.  During  1781  and  1782,  he  was  much  in  ser- 
vice in  protecting  the  frontiers. 

By  two  marriages — the  second  to  a  Miss  Kennedy — he 
had  fifteen  children,  one  son,  born  soon  after  the  death  of 
his  revered  commander,  he  named  General  William  Caiiip- 
hcll  Edmondson.     He  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  dying  July 


.  I. 


i 


Ibi: 


404 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN- 


thirtiotli,  1822,  in  liis  cio-hty-ninth  year.  He  was  six  feet, 
two  inclu's  hi<j;li,  possi  ;i  vi<f()r()us  mind  ;   he  was  bold, 

manly,  opcn-hcarliul,  lul  j^a-norous.  I  lis  attai'hmcnts 
won*  stronjr,  and  his  hatreds  bitter.  lie  served  at  one  time 
as  Sherirt*  of  the  County,  and  for  many  years  presided, 
with  great  di<rnit\-,  over  the  County  Court.  Judge  Estill, 
who  knew  him  well,  declared,  that  "few  more  gallant, 
useful,  and  iionorable  men  than  Colonel  Edmondson  ever 
lived  in  any  counlr\'." 

James  Dysart  was  born  in  Donegal  Count}',  Ireland; 
his  parents  d3ing  in  his  infancy,  he  was  raised  by  his  grand- 
father, who  gave  him  a  plain  education.  At  the  rtge  of 
seventeen  he  sailed  for  the  New  World  to  seek  his  fortune, 
landing,  m  1761,  at  Ph'hulelphia,  from  which  he  gradually 
worked  his  way  to  th<  th-west,  until  he  reached  the  IIol- 
ston  Valley.     In  177  joined  James  Knox  and  others, 

in  exploring  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  who  are  known  in 
history  as  the  Long  Hunters.  In  1775,  he  married  Nancy 
Beattie.  sister  of  Captain  David  Beattie,  and  settled  on  the 
Little  Molston.  During  the  whole  Revolutionary  war  he 
was  active  in  frontier  service,  heading  his  company  ;  and 
at  King's  Mountain  he  was  badly  wounded  in  the  left  hand, 
which  crippled  him  for  life.  In  1781  he  was  made  a  Major, 
and  subsequently  a  Colonel ;  and  once  represented  Wash- 
ington County  in  the  Virginia  Legislature.  In  liis  old  age, 
broken  up  b}'  surety  debts,  he  removed  to  Rockcastle 
Count}-,  Kentucky,  with  his  wife,  three  sons,  and  three 
daughters;  where  he  died,  May  twentN'-sixth,  1818,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years.  He  w^as  fond  of  reading,  and 
had  quite  a  library  of  books.  When  it  was  once  suggested 
to  him  that  he  must  be  lonesome  at  his  frontier  home — "I 
am  never  lonesome,"  he  replied,  "  when  I  have  a  good 
book  in  mv  hand."  He  always  spoke  highly  of  Colonel 
William  Campbell  as  a  brave  man  and  able  commander. 
In  1806,  he  was  placed  on  the  invalid  pension  list,  drawing 
a  hundred  and  twent}'  dollars  a  year. 


M  \ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


40.' 


Another  of  CanipbcH's  (jllifiTs  was  Captain  David  IJoat- 
tie,  son  of  J(jhn  Ikniltie,  born  on  Carr's  rrei-k,  in  now 
Rockbridge  County,  Virginia,  about  1752;  and  removed 
with  liis  parents  to  what  is  now  Washington  Countv,  in 
1772,  setthng  at  the  present  locahty  of  the  Glade  Spring 
Depot.  lie  married  Miss  Mary  Heattie,  and  raised  four 
sons  and  a  daughter.  Tiie  Beattie  connection  Ibrteil 
against  tlie  Indians  where  the  GUule  Spring  church  is  now 
situated.  Captain  Heattie  was  nnich  engaged  in  frontier 
service,  and  led  his  company  at  King's  Mountain — his 
brothers  John  and  William  were  also  along.  John  IJeattie, 
an  Ensign,  was  killed  in  the  battle,  leaving  no  family. 
Captain  Beattie  died  in  the  spring  of  1814.  He  was  a  man 
of  much  energy  of  character.  1 1  is  brother,  William  Beat- 
tie,  survived  till  April  fourth,  i860,  at  the  veneralile  age 
of  one  hundred  years — the  hist  of  Campbell's  King's 
Mountain  men. 

Captain  Andrew  Colvill,  an  earl}-  settler  in  the  Ilolston 
Valley,  took  an  active  part  in  the  defence  of  the  country. 
He  was,  as  early  as  1776,  commanding  at  Fort  Black,  and 
the  two  following  years  he  was  ranging  the  frontiers,  or 
stationed  at  Moore's  and  Cowan's  Forts,  and  distinguished 
himself  at  King's  Mountain.  lie  died  in  the  autumn 
of  1797. 

Few  of  the  Ilolston  pioneers  were  more  serviceable 
than  Robert  Craig.  He  commanded  a  company  on  Chris- 
tian's Cherokee  campaign  in  the  fall  of  1776;  was  mrch 
engaged  in  the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  and  at  King's 
Mountain,  where  he  fought  bravely,  losing  his  Lieutenant, 
William  Blackburn,  and  his  Ensign,  Nathaniel  Dryden. 
He  survived  the  war. 

Of  Captain  William  Edmondson's  career,  who  distin- 
guished himself  and  lost  his  life  at  King's  Mountain,  we 
have  no  further  particulars  ;  nor  of  Captain  William  Neal, 
who  commanded  the  footmen  in  the  rear,  save  that  he  rose 
from  the  rank  of  ensign  in  1777,  and  survived  the  war. 


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406 


A'/NG'S  MOUNTAIN 


■'  '1 


l«  ■!■ 


Recce  Bovven  was  born  in  Maryland  about  1742.  He 
first  emigrated  to  what  is  now  Rockbridge  County,  Vir- 
ginia, and,  in  1769,  to  the  waters  of  CHnch,  in  what  is  now 
Tazewell  County.  He  shared  in  the  battle  of  Point  Pleas- 
ant;  went  to  the  relief  c"  the  Kentucky  stations  in  1778; 
and  on  the  King's  Mountain  campaign,  he  was  Lieu- 
tenant of  his  brother,  William  Bowen's  company.  His 
brt>ther  being  ill  of  fever,  Reece  Bowen  succeeded  to  the 
command  of  the  company.  His  heroic  death  has  been 
already  related  ;  he  is  said  to  have  been  shot  by  a  Tory 
boy,  beliind  a  baggage  wagon,  near  the  close  of  the 
engagement,  when  Campbell's  men  were  driving  the 
e.^emy  toward  the  north-eastern  end  of  the  mountain. 
He  was  remarkable  for  his  herculean  strength  and  great 
activit}-.  He  left  a  famil}- — his  son,  Colonel  Henry  Bowen, 
lived  in  Tazewell  County  to  a  good  old  age. 

Thomas  ]McColloch  had  long  been  prominent  among 
the  border  men  of  Holston.  Though  only  a  Lieutenant, 
he  commanded  a  compan}^  at  King's  INIountain,  and 
was  mortally  wounded  in  the  battle.  He  died  while  the 
army  was  at  Walker's,  on  their  return  march,  the  twelfth 
of  October,  and  was  buried  in  Little  Britain  grave-yard. 
On  the  rude  stone  at  his  grave  is  this  inscription  :  "  Here 
lies  the  bodv  of  Lieutenant  Thomas  McColloch,  bclonmncf 
to  Colonel  Campbell's  Virginia  regiment,  who  lost  his  life 
in,  and  for  the  honorable,  just,  and  righteous  cause  of 
liberty,  in  defeating  Colonel  Ferguson's  infamous  company 
of  banditti,  at  King's  Mountain,  October  seventh,  17S0." 

William  Russell,  Jr.,  who,  though  only  a  Lieutenant, 
conunanded  Captain  Neal's  company  at  King's  Mountain, 
was  born  in  Culpeper  County,  Virginia,  in  1758.  He  was 
chiefly  raised  on  the  south-western  frontier  of  that  State  ; 
and,  in  1774,  he  served  on  an  expedition,  in  Powell's  Val- 
kw,  under  Daniel  Boone,  and  was  repeatedly  in  service 
thereafter ;  acting  as  Adjutant  to  Colonel  Campbell  at 
King's    Mountain,    Whitzell's    ^lill,    and    Guilford.      He 


MP--, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


407 


afterwards  removed  to  Kentucky,  serving  from  1791  to 
1794,  under  Scott,  Wilkinson,  and  Wayne,  on  their  several 
expeditions  against  the  Indians ;  and  again,  in  north-west- 
ern campaigns  during  the  war  of  181 2-15,  having  been 
appointed  to  the  command  of  a  regiment  in  the  regular 
army  in  1808.  He  rendered  much  service  in  civil  life, 
representing  Fayette  County,  in  the  Virginia  Legislature  in 
1789,  and  ni  the  Kentucky  Legislature  thirteen  sessions. 
He  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for  Governor  in  1824 ; 
and  died  July  third,  1825,  about  sixty -seven  years  of  age. 

The  two  Robert  Edmondsons — of  whom  the  elder  was 
killed,  and  the  younger  wounded,  at  King's  Mountain — 
were  of  Irish  descent,  and  near  kinsmen.  Both  were  in 
the  batde  of  the  Long  Island  Flats  of  Holston,  July  twen- 
tieth, 1776,  when  some  of  the  men  retreated — ^young  Robert 
among  them.  The  elder  Robert  Edmondson  interposed,  and 
brought  some  of  them  into  line,  his  young  kinsman  of  the 
number.  The  elder  Edmondson  chidcd  the  younger  for 
having  used  profane  language  during  the  engagement,  for 
which  he  was  bound  to  report  him  to  his  father.  The 
young  nan  retorted — "You,  too,  did  the  very  same  thing 
when  the  men  were  on  the  flight."  This  accusadon 
shocked  the  good  man,  who  was  a  strong  Presbyterian,  and 
said  this  charge  would  be  an  additional  matter  to  report  to 
the  young  man's  father ;  whereupon  a  by-stander  mildly 
said,  "  It's  too  true — I  heard  you."  The  old  soldier,  who 
had  unconsciously  used  rough  language  under  high  excite- 
ment, now  held  his  peace.  He  was  a  good  soldier,  and 
killed  two  or  three  Indians  at  the  Island  Flat  battle  ;  he 
served  on  Christian's  Cherokee  expedition  in  the  fall  of 
1776;  was  engaged  in  frontier  defense  as  a  Lieutenant  in 
1777-8,  and  on  Evan  Shelby's  Chickamauga  expedition 
in  1779. 

At  King's  IMountain,  the  younger  Edmondson  was 
Lieutenant  of  Beattic's  company.  He  subsequently  set- 
tled at  the  Irish  station,  near   Ilaysboro,  seven  or   eight 


; '  '■••  1 


1  \ 


'  >. 


V'  \ 


\ 


408 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


miles  above  Nashville,  on  the  Cumberland.  In  the  fall  of 
1787,  in  a  scrape  \vith  the  Indians,  at  Neely's  Bend,  he 
was  badly  wountled  in  the  arm  ;  and  it  was  eight  years 
after,  when  an  ounce  ball  was  extracted  from  the  arm, 
before  he  recovered,  lie  died  in  1816,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three.  Captain  Andrew  J.  Edmondson,  who  served  under 
General  Jackson  in  the  Creek  war,  and  at  New  Orleans, 
was  his  son. 

Sanniel  Newell  was  born  in  Frederick  Count}-,  Vir- 
ginia, November  fourth,  1754,  and  his  parents  early  settled 
on  the  Ilolston.  lie  engaged  in  the  service  against  Tories 
in  April,  1776,  and  in  the  summer  following  shared  in  the 
battle  of  Long  Island  Flats  of  Ilolston  ;  and  the  same  j-ear 
was  appointed  a  Sergeant  in  Captain  Colvill's  company,  and 
a  Lieutenant  in  1777 — serving  several  years  on  the  fron- 
tiers. In  17S0,  he  took  part  in  the  expedition  against  the 
Tories  on  New  ri\'er,  and  then  at  King's  jNIountain,  in  Col- 
vill's company,  where  he  was  badly  wounded,  from  which 
he  never  fully  recovered.  In  December  of  the  same  year, 
he  went  on  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell's  Cherokee  expedi- 
tion ;  and  in  1781,  was  appointed  a  Captain.  lie  was 
much  engaged  in  the  protection  of  the  KenLuck}^  road  and 
Powell's  \'  alle}^,  and  had  several  skirmishes  with  the  In- 
dians— twice,  in  1782,  overtaking  war  parties,  in  one  of 
wliich  he  and  his  men  surrounded  an  Indian  camp,  and 
his  gun  alone  went  ofl",  the  others  failed,  from  becoming  wet ; 
but  his  single  lire  killed  one  Indian  and  mortally  wounded 
another.  lie  early  removed  to  French  Broad  river,  in 
Tennessee,  where  he  figured  among  the  promoters  of  the 
Franklin  Government,  was  a  representative,  in  i7>''^5,  of 
Sevier  Count}-  in  the  Legislature,  and  also  a  member  of 
the  Convention  that  formed  the  Franklin  Constitution  at 
the  close  of  that  year ;  was  subsequently  a  Justice  and  a 
Colonel  of  militia.  In  1797,  he  removed  to  wl  at  is  now 
Pulaski  County,  Kentucky,  where  he  was  long  presiding 
Justice  of  the  County  Court ;  and  about  1838  he  removed  to 


4, 


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V 

o 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


400 


Montgomery  County,  Indiana,  where  he  died  September 
twenty-first,  1841,  at  the  age  of  nearly  eighty-seven  years. 
He  was  six  feet,  one  inch  in  h.eight,  of  fnie  presence,  and 
superior  abihties.  lie  left  numerous  descendants.  In  1812 
he  was  placed  on  the  invalid  pension  list,  drawing,  at  first, 
ninety-six,  and  subsequently  increased  to  one  hundred  and 
eight  dollars  a  jear,  and  still  later  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty-one  dollars  and  ninety-three  cents. 

Andrew  Kincannon,  a  native  of  the  Valley  of  V^irginia, 
was  born  October  twenty-seventh,  1744.  ^^^  early  settled 
in  the  Ilolston  country.  He  was  a  blacksmith  and  gunsmith 
by  trade,  and  claimed  to  have  made  the  first  horse-shoe  in 
Kentuck}',  probably  in  1775.  In  Februarj-,  1777,  he  was 
acting  as  armorer  to  the  troops  stationed  at  Long  Island  of 
Ilolston;  and  that  year  he  was  appointed  an  Ensign,  and 
then  a  Lieutenant  in  Washington  County,  and  stationed 
at  the  Stone  Mill  on  Deer  Creek.  At  King's  Moun- 
tain, he  succeeded  to  the  command  of  his  company, 
when  Captain  D}sart  was  wounded,  and  was  cliosen 
Captain  in  1782.  A  few  years  after  the  war,  he  setded  on 
Tom's  Creek,  in  Surry  County,  North  Carolina,  where  he 
had  a  fine  farm  and  iron  works.  He  married  Catherine 
McDonald  ;  they  raised  nine  children,  and  left  many  de- 
scendants. He  was  tall  and  muscular,  of  great  integrity, 
and  high  character.  He  died  in  November,  1829,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-five  years. 

Robert  Campbell,  a  younger  brother  of  Colonel  Arthur 
Campbell,  was  born  in  Augusta  County,  Virginia,  May  25, 
1755,  and  emigrated  to  the  Ilolston  in  1771  ;  serving  in 
Christian's  regiment  on  the  Shawanoe  Campaign  in  1774; 
and  was  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island  Flats  of  Ilolston,  in 
Jid}^  1776,  where  in  advance  of  his  fellows,  he  was  mistaken 
for  an  Indian,  and  came  near  losing  his  life,  and  when 
within  twenty  paces  of  a  warrior,  who  had  discharged  his 
gun  ineffectually  at  Campbell,  the  latter  aimed  at  him  in 
turn,  when  the  savage  hero  folded  his  arms,  and  met   his 


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KING'S  MOUNTAIN- 


fate  with  a  dignity  and  firmness  worthy  of  the  bnghtest 
days  of  chivahy.  Seeing  the  Indians  extending  their  hnes 
to  surround  the  whites,  Campbell  gave  the  alarm  in  season 
to  counteract  it.  On  Christian's  Cherokee  campaign,  in 
the  fall  of  1776,  he  was  a  volunteer;  and  on  the  march 
to  Ilighwassee,  the  troops  forded  French  Broad  river  to  their 
waists  and  armpits,  then  bivouacked  on  the  southern  bank 
during  the  greater  part  of  a  very  cold  night,  without  hre, 
apprehending  an  attack  from  the  Indians,  and  renewing 
their  march  at  the  dawn  of  day,  with  shivering  limbs,  liter- 
ally encased  in  ice.  At  King's  Mountain,  though  only  an 
Ensign,  he  served  conspicuously.  In  December  following 
he  was  Adjutant  to  his  brother.  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell, 
on  his  Cherokee  expedition,  and  at  his  own  request,  headed 
a  party  of  sixty  men  to  destroy  Chilhowee.  Having  accom- 
plished this  service,  while  returning,  they  had  to  pass  a  nar- 
row dciile,  three  hundred  yards  in  extent,  lined  by  two  or 
three  hundred  warriors  ;  and,  witliout  pausing,  he  directed 
his  men  to  follow  him  in  sintjle  file,  and  char^jed  through  at 
their  best  speed,  without  losing  a  man,  though  a  heavv 
volley  was  fired  at  them.  He  served  a  long  period  as  a 
Colonel  of  a  regiment,  and  as  a  maixistrate  nearlv  fortv 
years,  in  Washington  County  ;  then  removed,  in  1825,  to 
Knox  County,  Tennessee,  where  he  died  December  twenty- 
seventh,  1831,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.* 

♦Some  writers  have  confomulcd  Lieutenant-Colonel  Richard  Campbell  with  General 
William  Campbell.  In  a  sketch  of  the  latter,  in  the  first  edition  uf  Appleton's  Cyclo/'tdia. 
it  is  stated  that  he  was  mortally  wounded  at  tlie  battle  of  F.utaw  Springs,  September 
eighth,  1781  ;  and  when  told  of  the  success  of  the  American  arms,  died  uttering  the  same 
words  as  Wolfe  had  done  before  him.  "  I  die  contended  "  This  was  true  of  Richard 
Campbell,  also  a  native  of  the  Virginia  Valley,  who  was  commissioned  a  Captain  in 
February,  1776,  and  subsequently  a  M.ijor.  serving  in  Colonel  John  Gibson's  regiment  at 
Pittsburg.  He  served  on  Mcintosh's  expedition  against  the  Ohio  Indians  in  1778;  and 
leading  a  relief  party  to  Fort  I, aureus,  in  June,  1779,  he  commanded  that  frontier  garrison 
till  its  evacuation  shortly  after.  Joining  General  Greene  with  a  regiment  of  Virgijiia 
regulars,  he  served  with  distinction  at  Guilford,  Hobkirk's  Hill  and  Ninety  Six,  sealing 
with  his  life's  blood  his  devotion  to  his  country  at  Eutaw. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


411 


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aling 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Cols.  Shelby  and  Sevier,  and  their  Officers. 


Notice  of  Evan  Shelby. — Isaac  SJiclhys  Life  and  Services. —  Officers 
ztnder  him  at  King's  Mountain — Evan  Shelby,  Jr. — Gilbert  Chris- 
tian— A/oses  Shelby — fames  Elliott — fohn  Sawyers — George  Max- 
well, and  George  Rittledge. —  fohn  Sevier's  Life  and  Services. — 
//is  King's  Mountain  Oj^cers — fonathan  Tipton — Valentine  and 
Robert  .Sevier — Christopher  Taylor — Jacob  Broiun — Samuel  Weir. 

Evan  Slielbv,  who  was  born  in  Wales  in  1720,  emi- 
grated, with  his  lather's  family,  to  Maryland,  about  1735, 
settling  near  North  Mountain,  in  now  Washington  County, 
where  he  became  a  noted  woodsman,  hunter,  and  Indian 
trader.  He  llgured  prominently  on  the  Mar}'land  and 
Pennsylvania  frontiers  in  the  old  French  and  Indian  war — 
first  as  a  Lieutenant,  and  then  as  a  Captain.  On  Forbes' 
campaign,  he  gave  chase  to  an  Indian  spy,  in  view  of  many 
of  the  troops,  overtaking  and  tomahawking  him.  lie  sub- 
sequently distinguished  himself  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  Chris- 
tian's campaign,  and  on  the  expedition  he  led  against  the 
Chickamaugas.  Rising  to  the  rank  of  Colonel,  and  then 
General,  he  died  December  fourth,  1794,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years. 

His  son,  Isaac  Shelb}',  was  born  near  the  North  Moun- 
tain, Maryland,  on  the  eleventh  of  December,  1750,  where 
amid  the  excitements  of  the  Indian  wars,  he  obtained  only 
the  elements  of  a  plain  English  education.  In  1771,  he  was 
for  some  time  engaged  in  feeding  and  herding  cattle  in  the 
extensive  natural  ranges  west  of  the  Alleghanies  \  and  in 
the  same  year,  the  Shelby  connection  removed  to  the  Hols- 
ton  country.  In  1774,  when  the  Indians  became  trouble- 
some, Isaac  Shelby  received  the  commission  of  a  Lieuten- 


I  ,  ■  i  ! 


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412 


KING '  5  MO  UNTAIN 


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ant  in  the  militia  at  tlie  hands  of  Colonel  William  Preston, 
the  County  Lieutenant  of  Fincastle,  and  took  his  seat  ; 
when  his  father,  who  was  present,  thinking  his  son  had  not 
shown  proper  respect  in  the  matter,  said  to  him  :  "  Get  up, 
you  dog  you,  and  make  jour  obeisance  to  the  Colonel  " — 
whereupon  the  youthful  olhcer  arose,  somewhat  iibashed,  and 
made  the  amende  Jioiiorahlc.  lie  served  with  distinction,  as 
second  in  command  of  his  father's  company-,  in  the  memor- 
able battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  October  tenth,  1774,  where  the 
frontier  riflemen  fought  the  Shawanoes  and  allied  tribes  from 
sunrise  till  sundown,  gaining  a  decisive  victory.  Point  Pleas- 
ant was  then  made  a  garrison,  where  he  remained  in  service 
till  July,  1775,  when  Governor  Dunmore  ordered  the  dis- 
bandment  of  those  troops,  lest  they  might  sympathize  with, 
and  become  obedient  to  the  Whig  authorities. 

He  was  now,  for  nearly  twelve  months,  engaged  in  ex- 
ploring the  wilds  of  Kentuck}',  and  in  sun'cyiug  lands  for 
Henderson  and  Company,  who  had  made  a  large  purchase 
from  the  Cherokees.  During  his  absence  in  1776,  he  was 
commissicmed  a  Captain  ;  and,  in  1777,  Governor  Henry  ap- 
pointed him  a  Commissary  of  supplies  for  the  several  frontier 
garrisons,  and  for  the  ensuing  treat}-  with  the  Cherokees  at 
the  Long  Island  of  IIolst(m  in  that  year.  It  was  only  by  his 
most  indefatigable  exertions  that  the  large  amount  of  pro- 
visions required,  could  be  obtained.  The  following  year  he 
continued  his  Commissary  services,  providing  for  the  Con- 
tinental arm}',  and  for  General  Mcintosh's  expedition  against 
the  Ohio  Indians.  In  the  spring  of  1779,  he  pledged  his 
individual  credit  for  supplies  for  his  father's  troops  on  the 
Chickamauga  expedition.  He  was,  this  spring,  elected  a 
member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature  from  Washington 
County ;  and,  in  the  fall,  he  was  commissioned  a  Major  by 
Governor  Jefferson  for  the  escort  of  guards  to  the  Commis- 
sioners for  extendint;  the  boundary  line  between  Vir<rinia 
and  North  Carolina.  His  residence  was  now  found  to  be 
within  the  limits  of  the  latter  State,  and  he  was,  in  Xoveni- 


%  "I 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


413 


ber  of  this  year,  nppointed  by  Governor  Caswell  a  Coloni'l 
and  magistrate  of  the  new  County  of  Siillivan,  entering 
upon  their  duties  at  the  organization  of  the  County  in 
Februar}-  following. 

In  the  the  summer  of  17S0,  Colonel  Shelby  was  in  Ken- 
tucky, perfecting  his  claims  to  lands  he  had  five  years  before 
selected  and  marked  out  for  himself,  \vhen  the  intelligence 
of  tlie  surrender  of  Charleston  reached  that  countr}'.  lie 
returned  home  in  July,  determined  to  enter  the  service, 
and  remain  in  it  imtil  independence  should  be  secured, 
lie  found  a  message  from  Colonel  Charles  McDowell,  of 
Ilurke  County,  begging  him  to  furnish  all  the  aid  he  could  to- 
wards checking  the  enemv,  who  were  over-runninir  the 
three  SouUiern  States,  and  had  reached  the  western  borders 
of  North  Carolina.  In  a  few  days,  he  crossed  the  Allegha- 
nies  witli  two  hundred  mounted  rillemen.  Their  valor  and 
patriotism  were  shown  conspicuously  at  Thicketty  Fort, 
Cedar  Springs  and  Musgrove's  Mill  ;  re-assuring  the  strug- 
gling patriots  that  the  British  leaders  could  not  ride,  rough- 
shod, over  the  American  people.  Shelby's  noble  efforts 
in  prosecuting  the  King's  Mountain  expedition,  his  magna- 
nimity in  securing  the  appointment  of  Colonel  Campbell  to 
the  chief  command,  and  his  heroic  conduct  in  the  battle,  all 
combine  to  render  his  services,  at  that  critical  period,  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  his  country. 

The  Legislature  of  North  Carolina  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
l')  Colonels  Shelby  and  Sevier  for  their  good  services,  direct- 
ing that  an  elegant  sword  should  be  presented  to  each  of 
them.  General  Greene  wrote  xu-gently  requesting  Col. 
Shelbv  to  join  him  with  a  body  of  mountaineers,  which 
letter  miscarried  ;  but  a  second  message  was  more  fortunate, 
and  Shelby  and  Sevier  led  live;  hundred  mounted  riflemen 
over  the  mountains  joining  General  Greene,  about  the  first 
of  November.  Shelby  was  detached  with  Colonel  Maham 
in  an  attempt  on  the  British  post  of  Fairlawn,  at  Colleton's 
plantation,  a  few  miles  from  Monk's  Corner.     When  a  flag 


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414 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


was  sent  in,  demanding  its  surrender,  the  British  oflieer  in 
command  returned  for  answer,  that  lie  woukl  defend  it 
to  the  last  extremity.  Shelby  then  went  himself,  assuring 
the  commandant  that  should  he  be  so  Ibol-hardy  as  to  suffer 
a  storm,  every  soul  would  be  put  to  death,  as  he  had  under 
his  command  several  hundred  mountaineers  who  would 
rush  in,  tomahawk  in  hand,  upon  the  garrison.  The  otlicer 
tlien  inquired  if  he  had  any  cannon.  "Yes,  indeed,"  said 
Shelby,  ''  guns  that  will  blow  you  to  atoms  in  a  moment." 
"Then,"  replied  the  officer,  "  I  suppose  I  must  surrender," 
which  he  did — one  hundred  and  five  prisoners,  with  three 
hundred  stand  of  arms.  Shelby  shordy  after  obtained  leave 
of  absence,  to  attend  the  North  Carolina  Legislature,  of 
which  he  was  a  member.  Soon  after  the  mountaineers 
returned  home — not  deserters  as  Judge  Johnson  describes 
them,  for  the  call  upon  them  was  for  a  special  service — to 
aid  in  intercepting  Cornwallis  ;  who,  having  been  effectually 
intercepted  at  Vorktown,  they  felt  that  they  had  fullilled  all 
that  could  reasonably  be  required  of  them,  and  retired 
to  their  homes,  in  a  deep  snow,  early  in  January  ensuing.* 
The  Legislature  of  North  Carolina  soon  adjourned,  and 
Colonel  Shelby  returning  to  the  Holston,  was  engaged  dur- 
ing spring  in  preparing  for  an  expedition  against  the  Chick- 
amauga  band  of  Cherokees,  and  the  hostile  Creeks  at  the 
sources  of  the  jNIobile,  in  which  enterprise  he  was  to  have 
been  joined  by  two  hundred  men  from  Washington  County, 
Virginia  ;  but  on  account  of  the  poverty  of  that  State,  the 
authorides  discouraged  the  scheme,  and  reaching  Big  Creek, 
thirty  miles  below  Long  Island  of  Holston,  the  expedition 
w^as  relinquished.  He  was,  in  1782,  again  chosen  a  member 
of  the  North  Carolina  Assembly,  and  was  appointed  one  of 
the  Commissioners  to  adjust  preemption  claims  on  Cumber- 
land river,  and  lay  off  the  lands  allotted  to  the  officers  and 

*  Haywood's  History  of  Tennessee,  102-106;  Todd's  Life  of  Sfielby  ;  MS.  statement  of 
Gov.  Shelby,  apparently  addressed  to  Judge  Johnson,  roiitroverting  his  st.itenicnts  ahont 
the  pretended  desertion  of  the  mountaineers;  MS.  notes  of  conversations  with  James 
Sevier,  who  was  in  the  service,  and  with  Col.  George  Wilson. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


415 


Ion 


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soldiers  of  the  North  Carolina  line,  which  serviee  he  per- 
formed in  the  winter  of  1782-83.  In  April  following,  he 
was  married  at  lk)onesborough,  Kentucky,  to  Susanna, 
daughter  of  Captain  Nathaniel  Hart,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  countr\-,  and  now  settled  on  his  preemption  near  Stan- 
ford, where  he  continued  to  reside  for  forty-three  years. 

In  Januar}'.  1783,  Colonel  Shelby  having  been  appointed 
by  Governor  Harrison  and  the  Council  of  Virginia,  one 
of  the  Commissioners  to  hold  treaties  with  the  Western 
Indians,  a  conference  was  held  at  Long  Island  of  IIol- 
ston  with  the  Cherokees  in  July,  but  nothing  of  mo- 
ment was  accomplished.  The  proposed  treaty  with  the 
Shawnees  miscarried ;  and  only  CoUniels  Donelson  and 
Martin  met  tlie  Chickasaws  at  French  Lick,  on  Cumber- 
land, in  November,  and  interchanged  friendly  talks  with 
them.  For  several  years  Indian  disturbances  continued, 
the  Cherokees  waylaying  the  Kentucky  road,  and  inflict- 
ing much  injuiy  on  the  travelers  to  that  country.  The 
Kentucky  people  '  resolved  to  march  in  strong  force 
against  Cliickamauga,  and  could  onl}-  be  restrained,  in  the 
summer  of  1791,  in  view  of  an  approaching  treaty  at 
Knoxville.  Colonel  Shelbv  attended — the  Indians  were 
surly,  when  he  frankl}^  told  them,  that  there  were  a  thousand 
riflemen  in  Kentucky,  with  their  horses  all  shod,  ready 
to  march  against  them.  "Too  manv — too  manv,"  said 
the  Cherokees,  and  they  patched  up  a  temporary  peace. 

lie  was  a  member  of  the  early  Conventions  held  at 
Danville  to  secure  a  separation  from  Virginia,  and  of  the 
Convention,  in  April,  1792,  that  formed  the  first  Constitution 
of  Kentucky.  In  May  following,  he  was  chosen  the  first 
Governor  of  the  new  wState  ;  and  during  his  ft)ur  years' term 
he  proved  a  model  Chief  Magistrate,  lending  every  aid  in 
his  power  in  supplying  troops  fi)r  quelling  the  Indian  war  in 
the  North-west.  lie  was  three  times  chosen  an  elector, 
supporting  Thomas  JefiiM-son  for  President ;  and  when  the 
second  war  with  Great  Britain  burst  upon  the  country,  he 


\,   1 


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'M'iCnMIPHHi 


416 


A'/NG  'S  A/0  UNTA  IN 


consented  af^ain  to  serve  as  Governor,  e.\ertin<(  every  inllu- 
ence  in  sustaining  tlie  Government,  and  bringing  the  con- 
flict to  an  honorable  issue.  The  revival  of  the  war  spirit 
reminded  North  Carolina  of  its  ancient  pledge  of  a  sword 
to  Governor  Slielby  for  his  King's  Mountain  services,  and 
it  was  presented  to  him  in  1813;  and  he  led  the  Kentucky 
troops,  the  same  year,  on  the  Canada  campaign,  wiiich 
closed  with  the  victor}'  of  the  Thames.  For  this  patriotic 
service.  Congress,  in  181 7,  voted  him  a  gold  medal.  In 
1818,  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Monroe,  Secretary' 
of  War ;  but,  at  his  advanced  age,  preferring  the  quiet  of 
private  life,  he  declined  its  acceptance.  In  1818,  he  was 
associated  with  General  Jackson  in  holding  a  treat}'  with 
the  Cliickasaws,  which  resulted  in  the  cession  of  their 
lands  west  of  the  Tennessee  to  the  General  Government — 
his  last  public  service.  He  was  stricken  with  paralysis  in 
1820,  disabling  his  right  arm  and  limb ;  but  his  mind  con- 
tinued unimpaired  until  July  eighteenth,  1826,  when  he 
died  of  apoplexy,  sitting  in  his  chair — with  only  his  vener- 
able companion  present,  as  he  had  often  expressed  his  wish 
that  it  should  be.  The  noble  patriot  of  three  wars  thus 
quietly  passed  away,  in  the  sevent3'-sixth  year  of  his  age. 


Evan  Shelby,  Jr.,  who  acted  as  Major  in  his  brother's 
reffiment  at  Kinii's  Mountain,  was  born  in  Maryland  about 
1754.  Me  was  a  Lieutenant  on  Christian's  campaign  of 
1776.  Beside  his  participation  in  the  King's  Mountain 
expedition,  he  served  as  a  volunteer  at  the  Cowpens  ;  and, 
near  the  close  of  178 1,  with  his  brother  Isaac  in  South  Caro- 
lina, Left  on  one  occasion,  with  three  or  four  men,  to 
guard  quite  a  squad  of  horses  on  an  island,  a  British  part}' 
of  some  ninety  men  came  and  took  the  horses  ;  Shelby  and 
his  associates  escaping.  But  they  dogged  the  enemy  until 
they  camped  in  a  lane,  when,  leaving  one  of  their  number 
behind  some  distance  with  a  horn  which  he  was  directed,  at 
the   proper  time,  to  blow  furiously,  Shelby  and  the  others 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


417 


made  a  bold  push  on  the  camp,  hallooing  "  surround  !  sur- 
round thcni  I"  This,  with  the  horn,  incHcalin;^  a  charge, 
some  of  the  enemy  iK^gan  to  fall  back,  when  the  horses, 
becomin<,r  frightened,  ran  at  full  speed  over  the  Red-Coats, 
materhdly  aiding  in  the  stampede.  The  Whigs  killed  sev- 
eral of  the  skedaddlers.  Marrying  his  cousin,  Catharine, 
daughter  of  Major  John  Shelby  he  settled  a  station  about 
1790,  pretty  well  up  the  West  Fork  of  Red  river,  some  fifty 
miles  north-west  of  Nashville.  On  the  ei'diteenth  of 
January,  1793,  when  out  hunting,  at  the  mouth  of  Casey's 
creek  of  Little  river,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  present  county 
of  Trigg,  Kentucky,  he,  with  two  companions,  was  killed 
by  hostile  Indians — his  brother,  Moses  escaping  unhurt. 

Gilbert  Christian,  son  of  Robert  Christian,  was  born  in 
Augusta  County,  Va.,  about  1734,  and  participa  ed  in  the 
border  wars  of  1755-63.  Settling  in  the  Ilolston  country, 
he  commanded  a  company  on  Christian's  Cherokee  cam- 
paign, tlie  Chickamauga  expedition,  and  at  King's  Moun- 
tain, lie  served  as  a  Major  on  Arthur  Campbell's  expedi- 
tion, figured  prominently  in  the  Franklin  Republic,  and 
acted  as  a  Colonel  during  the  Cherokee  war  of  1788  till 
his  death,  at  Knoxville,  in  November  1793,  when  returning 
from  the  High  tower  campaign. 

Moses  Shelb}',  born  about  1756,  was  severely  wounded  at 
the  head  of  his  company  at  King's  Mountain.  He  served  at 
the  siege  of  Savannah  in  1779,  at  Cowpens,  and  the  capture 
of  Augusta,  in  1781 — on  one  of  which  occasions  he  recejVed 
six  sabre  wounds.  After  the  Indian  wars,  he  settled  near 
New  Madrid,  Missouri,  where  he  died  September  seven- 
teenth, 1828,  about  seventy-two  years  of  age. 

James  Elliott  was  an  earh' settler  on  Ilolston.  From  an 
Ensign  in  1777,  he  rose  by  good  service  to  the  rank  of  Cap- 
tain, commanding  his  company  at  King's  Mountain  ;  and 
while  serving  on  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell's  Cherokee  expe- 
pcdition,  he  was  killed  at  Tellico,  December  twenty-eighth, 
1780,  \)\  a  concealed  Indian — Colonel  Campbell  denominat- 
ing him  "  a  gallant  young  officer." 

27 


t 


i-V 


418 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


•i 


John  Sawyers  was  liorn  in  Vir<^inia  in  1745,  shortly  after 
his  parents  arrivctl  from  ICnifhuul.  who  early  settled  in 
Auj^usta  County,  Virginia.  In  1761  younjf  Sawyers  was 
en«^a<fed  on  Colonel  Byrd's  ahortivo  expedition,  and  in  other 
frontier  service  atrainst  the  Indians.  In  1768,  he  with  others 
explored  the  Ilolslon  Valley,  early  removed  to  that  frontier, 
and  served  at  I'oint  Pleasant,  on  Christian's  Cherokee  cain- 
pai<^n,  and  on  the  Chickamauga  expedition  in  1779,  and  led 
acompan\-  at  King's  Mountain.  Settling  in  what  is  now 
Knox  County,  Tennessee,  he  was  made  a  Major,  th.'n  a 
Colonel,  and  twice  chosen  a  member  of  the  Legislature. 
He  died  November  twentieth,  1831,  aged  eighty-six  years. 

George  Maxwell  born  in  Virginia,  175 1,  early  migrated 
to  the  Ilolston.  A  Lieutenant  in  1777,  he  was  much  en- 
gaged in  frontier  service,  commanding  a  company  at  King's 
Mountain.  On  the  orgiinizalion  of  Sullivan  C(nmty,  Ten- 
nessee, in  1780,  he  was  made  one  of  the  Justices ;  in  1784, 
a  Major ;  the  next  year  a  Ccjlonel,  and  member  of  the 
Assembly  of  the  short-lived  Republic  of  Franklin  ;  in  1787, 
a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Legislature;  in  1799,  '^ 
member  of  the  Tennessee  Senate  from  Hawkins  county, 
where  he  died  November  twenty-third,  1822,  in  his  sevent}-- 
second  year.  Of  his  associates.  Captain  John  Pemberton, 
and  Captain  Webb,  we  have  no  knowledge. 


Col.  John  Sevier  and  his  Officers. 
Near  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  fled  from  his  native  Paris, 
on  account  of  religious  persecution,  and  settled  in  London. 
The  family  name  of  Xavier  was  now  Anglicized  to  Sevier. 
Here  he  married  a  Miss  Smith,  and  had  two  sons,  Val- 
entine and  William,  who,  when  scarcely  grown,  ran  away, 
and  took  passage  for  America.  This  was  not  far  from  1 740. 
Among  their  fellow-passengers  were  several  young  men  of 
a  wild  and  sporting  character,  from  whom  Valentine  Sevier 
acquired  habits  of  gambling  and  dissipation.     Landing  at 


aucaouauai 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


410 


ris, 
Ion. 
ner. 


^40. 
hi  of 
kner 
tr  at 


Baltimore,  lu'  siibsfcjuonlly  married  a  Miss  Joanna  Goade, 
and  settled  in  tlu-n  Auf^usta,  now  Rockini^liarn  County,  in 
the  Valley  of  \'iririnia,  six  miles  south-west  of  where  the 
little  village  of  New  Market  was  subsi'ijuently  located. 
Mere  he  opened  a  farm,  and  carried  on  trade  with  the  Indians, 
and  here  John  Sevier  was  born,  Si'ptember  twenty-third, 
1745.  After  the  Indian  war  of  1755  broke  out,  the  family 
removed  for  safety  to  I'^redericksburj^.  wlu-re  they  remained 
nearly  two  years,  and  where  young  Sevier  attendi-d  school. 

Returning  to  his  old  home  in  the  Valley,  Valentine 
Sevier  found  his  domicil  had  been  burned  by  the  Indians. 
The  cabins  were  re-built,  and  trade  re-connnenced.  John 
Sevier  was  sent  to  Staunton  to  school ;  and  while  there,  he 
one  day  accidentally  fell  into  a  mill-race,  and  was  saved 
from  drowniuif  b\-  the  heroic  ellorts  of  two  voun<j  ladies — 
one  of  whom  subsequently  became  the  wife  of  George  Mat- 
thews, one  of  the  heroes  of  Point  Pleasant,  and  subsequently 
a  Colonel  in  the  Revolution,  and  Governor  of  Georgia.  He 
now  engaged  with  his  father  in  trade;  and,  in  1761,  before 
he  had  turned  of  seventeen,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Haw- 
kins, cleared  up  a  farm,  and  engaged  in  excursions  against 
the  Indians — on  one  occasion,  he  and  his  party  narrowly 
escaping  a  fatal  ambuscade  by  a  timely  discovery  of  the  trap 
their  enemies  had  set  for  them.  He  laid  out  the  village  of 
New  Market,  and  there  for  some  time  he  kept  a  store  and 
inn,  and  carried  on  a  farm  ;  and  then  engaged  in  merchan- 
dizing in  the  neighboring  village  of  Middletown. 

About  1 771,  he  visited  the  Holston  country,  carrying  some 
goods  with  him  for  trade,  and  repeated  the  visit  in  1772. 
At  the  Watauga  Old  Fields,  on  Doe  river,  near  its  junction 
with  the  Watauga,  he  witnessed  a  horse-race,  where  a  large, 
savage  fellow,  named  Shoate,  took  from  a  traveling  stran- 
ger his  horse,  pretending  that  he  had  won  him  in  a  bet. 
Such  an  act  disgusted  Sevier  with  the  country,  naturally 
beautiful  ;  but  the  elder  Evan  Shelby  remarked  :  "  Never 
mind  these  rascals:  they'll   soon  take    poplar" — meaning 


'.t  \ 


•x:  i\^ 


v'M 

m  I 


lil'i 


11 


11 


I!  Ki 


11 


420 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


cnnoes,  and  put  off.  This  Sho.'ite  became  a  noted  horse-thief, 
and  was  pursued  and  killed  about  1779-80.  Late  in  1773, 
John  Sevier  removed  his  family  to  the  Ilolston  countrj'.  and 
lirst  located  iii  the  Ke3'\vood  settlement,  on  the  north  shore  of 
Holston,  half  a  dozen  mh^s  from  the  Shelbys.  Before  his 
removal  from  Virginia,  he  had  been  commissioned  a  Cap- 
tain by  Governor  Dunmore. 

He  was  at  Watauga  Fort  when  attacked,  July  twent}'- 
first,  1776.  At  day-break,  when  there  were  a  large  num- 
ber of  people  gathered  there,  and  the  women  were  out-side 
milking  the  cows,  a  large  body  of  Cherokees  fired  on  the 
milkers ;  but  they  all  fortunately  escaped  to  the  fort,  the 
gates  of  which  were  thrown  open  for  their  reception. 
Among  the  young  girls  thus  engaged  was  Catharine 
Sherrill,  who,  when  she  reached  the  gate,  found  it  shut ;  but 
equal  to  the  emergency,  she  threw  her  bonnet  over  the 
pickets,  and  then  clambered  over  herself,  and,  as  she  jumped 
within,  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  John  Sevier — her  future 
husband.  A  warm  attack  on  the  fort  ensued,  during  which 
Captain  Sevier  thouglit  he  killed  one  of  the  Indians.  A 
man  stole  out  of  the  stockade  at  night,  went  to  the  Ilolston, 
when  a  large  party  marched  lo  the  relief  of  the  beleaguered 
garrison.  It  was  because  th?  people  refused  to  join  and  co- 
operate with  the  enemies  of  their  countr}-,  that  the  savages 
were  instigated  to  murder  them,  destroy  their  crops  and 
improvements,  and  drive  otT  their  cattle  and  horses. 

John  Sevier  was  among  the  foremost  in  the  defence  of  the 
Watauga  and  Nolachucky  settlements.  lie  had  been 
elected  Clerk  of  the  first  self-constituted  court  in  1775  ;  and, 
in  1776,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  representatix^es  of  the 
united  settlements  to  the  North  Carolina  Convenuon  at  Hali- 
fax, and  took  his  seat,  securing  the  establishment  of  the  dis- 
trict of  Washington.  Hastening  back  home,  he  reached 
there  in  season  to  serve  on  Christian's  expedition  against 
the  Cherokees  at  the  head  of  a  fine  company  of  riflemen  ; 
and  also,  at  Colonel  Christian's  request,  he  acted  as  a  spy 


ho 


lli- 


iis- 


|ist 
In; 

by 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


421 


during  the  campaign.  lie  continued  his  services,  till  the  con- 
clusion of  the  treat}'  at  Long  Island  of  Ilolston  in  July, 
1777.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  was  appointed  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel lor  Washington  County.  During  the  period 
1777-79,  ^'^^  Indians,  Tories  and  horse-thieves  required  Col- 
onel Sevier's  constant  vigilance.  In  the  summer  of  1780, 
he  was  left  in  defence  of  the  settlements,  while  Major 
Charles  Robertson  led  the  Watauga  troops  on  the  campaign 
in  South  Carolina.  During  tlxiir  absence,  August  four- 
teenth, having  some  time  previously  lost  his  wife,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Catharine  Sherrill. 

Ilis  gallant  services  at  King's  Mountain  cannot  be  too 
highly  extolled.  December  sixteenth  following,  he  defeated 
the  Cherokees  at  Boyd's  creek,  killing  thirteen,  and  taking 
all  their  baggage,  and  then  joined  Colonel  Arthur  Campbell 
on  an  expedition  against  the  hostile  Indian  towns.  On  tlie 
third  of  February,  1781,  he  was  made  a  full  Colonel ;  and 
in  March,  he  led  a  successful  Ibray  against  the  Middle 
Cherokee  Settlements,  killing  about  thirty  of  their  warriors, 
capturing  nine  prisoners,  burning  six  towns,  and  bringing 
off  about  two  hundred  horses. 

"  What  time  from  right  to  left  there  rang  the  Indian  war-wlioop  wild, 
Where  Sevier's  tall  Watauga  boys  through  the  dim  dells  dcfded." 

Having,  in  February,  been  appointed  by  General  Greene 
one  of  the  Commissioners  to  hold  a  treaty  with  the  Indians, 
a  conference  took  place  with  the  Cherokees  at  the  Long 
Island  of  Ilolston  in  Jidy,  Colonel  Sevier  and  Major  Martin 
attending,  but  without  any  permanent  results.  In  the 
autumn  of  this  year.  Colonel  Sevier  served  under  Generals 
Greene  and  Marion  in  South  Carolina;  and,  in  1782,  he 
carried  on  a  campaign  against  the  Cherokees. 

In  November,  1784,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral, wl'.ich  he  declined  because  of  liis  leadership  in  the  effort 
to  establish  the  rt>public  of  Franklin.  During  the  period  of 
1784  to  178S,  he  was  made  its  Governor  and  defender.  He 
was  apprehended  by   the  North  Carolina  authorities,  on  a 


iVip' 


lir 


422 


KING '  S  MO  UN  TAIN 


charge  of  rebellion  against  the  State,  and  conveyed  to  Mor- 
ganton,  where  he  was  rescued  by  a  party  of  his  friends  ;  and 
returning  home.  "Chuckyjack"  led  a  campaign  against 
the  Indians.  As  the  East  Tennesseans  were  divided  in  sen- 
timent' the  Franklin  Republic,  after  a  turbulent  career  of 
some  four  years,  ceased  to  exist.  In  1789,  General  Sevier 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  North  Carolina, 
when  an  act  of  oblivion  was  passed,  and  he  was  re-instated 
as  Brigadier-General.  In  1790-91,  he  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  East  Tennessee  district  of  North  Carolina  in  Con- 
gress. When  Tennessee  was  organized  into  a  Territory, 
he  was  appointed  by  President  Washington  a  Brigadier- 
General  in  the  militia  ;  and  he  continued  to  protect  the 
fronder  settlements,  carrying  on  the  Ilightower  campaign 
against  the  Cherokees  in  1793.  In  1798,  he  was  made  a 
General  in  the  Provisional  army. 

On  the  organization  of  a  State  Government  in  1796, 
General  Sevier  was  chosen  the  first  Governor,  and  by  sue- 
cessive  re-elections  was  continued  in  that  office  till  1801. 
In  1802,  he  served  as  a  Commissioner  in  running  the  bound- 
ary line  between  Tennessee  and  Virjfinia.  He  aj^ain  served 
as  Governor  from  1803  till  1809,  and  then  a  term  in  the 
State  Senate.  lie  was  chosen  to  a  seat  in  Congress  in 
181  r,  serving,  during  the  war,  on  the  important  com- 
mittee on  military  affairs,  till  1815  ;  when  President  Madi- 
son appointed  him  one  of  the  Commissioners,  to  ascertain 
the  boundary  of  the  Creek  territory-,  and  died  while  on  that 
service,  in  camp,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Tallapoosa,  near 
Fort  Decatur,  Alabama,  September  twenty-fourth,  iSj^i^ 
closing  a  busy,  useful  life  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  As 
a  proof  of  the  love  and  veneration  of  his  neighbors  and 
friends,  whih  ibsent  in  the  Creek  country,  they  had  again 
elected  him  t«  Congress  with?)ut  opposition.  In  the  language 
of  the  distinguislied  Hugh  L.  White,  who  had  served 
under  him  in  the  old  Indian  wars  :  "  General  Se\  ier  was 
considered  in  his  da}',  among  the  most  gallant,  patriotic, 
and  useful  men  in  the  country  where  he  lived."  * 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


423 


V, 


tii! 


!^i 


Jonathan  Tipton  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Virginia, 
in  1750.  Early  settling  in  what  became  Washington 
County,  East  Tennessee,  he  was,  in  February,  1777,  made 
Major,  and  was  engaged  in  guarding  the  frontiers  ;  and  in 
1780,  had  a  tight  with  the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  Flat  creek, 
on  Nolachucky.  He  was  second  in  command  of  Sevier's 
regiment  at  King's  Mountain  :  and  then  served  on  Arthur 
Campbell's  campaign,  leading  a  detachment  against  Telas- 
see  and  Chilhowee.  In  the  fall  of  1781,  he  went  on  service 
with  Colonels  Shelby  and  Sevier  under  General  Greene,  in 
South  Carolina.  Major  Tipton  died  in  Overton  County, 
Tennessee,  January  eighteenth,  1833,  in  his  eighty-third 
year. 

Valentine  Sevier  was  born  in  what  is  now  Rockingham 
County,  Virginia,  about  1747,  and  settled  at  an  early  period 
in  East  Tennessee.  He  was  a  Sergeant,  and  one  of  the 
spies,  at  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  where,  says  Isaac 
Shelby,  "  he  was  distinguished  <br  vigilance,  acdvity,  and 
braver3\"  He  subsequently  served  in  the  Indian  wars  in 
East  Tennessee,  and  commanded  a  company  at  Thicketty 
Fort,  Cedar  Springs,  Musgrove's  Mill,  and  King's  Moun- 
tain. He  was  the  lirst  Sheriff  of  Washington  County,  a 
Jusdcc  of  the  court,  and  rose  in  the  militia  to  the  rank  of  a 
Colonel.  He  removed  to  the  mouth  ot  Red  river  on  Cumber- 
land, now  Clarksville,  where  he  was  attacked  by  Indians, 
November  eleventh,  1794,  killing  and  wounding  several 
of  his  family.  After  long  suffering  from  chronic  rheu- 
matism, he  died  at  Clarksville,  February  twenty-third. 
1800,  in  his  fif"tv-third  year;  his  widow  surviving  till  1844 
in  her  one  hundred  and  lirst  year.  His  younger  brother. 
Robert  Sevier,  who  also  commanded  a  company  at  King's 
Mountain,  and  was  mortally  wounded  in  the  conflict,  was 
previouslv  nuich  engaged  in  ridding  the  Watauga  and  Xola- 
chuckv  region  of  Tories  and  horse  thieves. 

Christopher  Taylor  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Vir- 

*  MS.  letter  to  the  author,  April  6th,  1839. 


■j^ 

l'\\ 

Iffii  ^'' 

* 

M 

-124 


KING 'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


'^i  sf 


!  •    i, 


ginia,  in  1746,  and  earl}'  removed,  with  a  3'oung  family, 
to  East  Tennessee.  He  served  on  Christian's  campaign ; 
he  was  chosen  a  Captain,  in  1778,  and  ranged  the  frontiers, 
serving  in  1780,  at  King's  Mountain,  and  subsequently 
against  tlie  Indians.  He  was  a  member  of  tlie  Jonesborough 
convention  in  1784,  and  died  in  Washington  County,  Ten- 
nessee, September  tenth,  1833,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven. 

Jacob  Brown  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  December 
eleventh,  1736;  settled  on  Nolacliucky,  in  1772,  purchas- 
ing lands  of  the  Cherokees.  lie  served  in  the  Indian 
wars,  at  the  head  of  his  company  in  Sevier's  regiment 
at  King's  Mountain,  and  then  on  Arthur  Campbell's 
expedition.  He  was  made  a  Major,  defeated  a  party 
of  Indians  in  the  fall  of  1781,  and  died,  June  twenty-eighth, 
1785,  from  an  accidental  wound  received  while  out  hunting. 

Samuel  Weir  was  anotlier  of  Sevier's  Captains  at  King's 
Mountain.  He  was  an  active  participant  in  the  Franklin 
Republic  movement;  led  a  party,  in  1793,  against  Telassee, 
killing  sixteen  Indians,  and  taking  four  prisoners.  In  1793 
and  1794,  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature, 
and,  in  1796,  a  member  of  the  Convention  that  formed  the 
Constitution  of  Tennessee.  He  served  many  years  as 
clerk  of  Sevier  County  court ;  and  lived  to  a  good  old 
age.  He  was  full)-  six  feet  in  height,  dark  complexioned, 
and  possessed  much  energ}-  of  character. 

Other  Captains  of  Sevier's  regiment  at  King's  Moun- 
tain were  Samuel  Williams,  a  member  of  the  Jonesborough 
Convention  of  1784,  and  a  representative  of  Carter  County, 
in  the  Legislature  in  1799  5  J^irnc''^  Stinson,  Jesse  Beene,  and 
Thomas  Price,  who  were  much  engaged  against  the  Chero- 
kees. George  Russell,  Joel  Callahan,  Isaac  Lane,  Andrew 
Caruthers,  aud  William  Robinson,  were  probably  all 
Lieutenants.  Caruthers,  a  native  of  Ireland,  died  in  Lin- 
coln County,  Tenn.,  in  1818  :  and  Robinson,  a  native  of 
Scodand,  was  among  the  defeated  Remdators  at  Alamance, 
in  May,  T771,  and  lived  to  advanced  years,  dying  also  in 
Lincoln  County. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


425 


CHAPTER    XIX, 


Col.   Ben.  Cleveland,  Maj.  Joseph  Winston  and  their 

Officers. 


I'l 


'i 


n 


Cievcland's  Ancestry.— His  Early  Life  and  Hunting  Adventures. — 
Trip  to  Kentucky. — Elk  Hunt  and  Narroiu  Escapes. — Revolution- 
ary War.— Suppressing  Scotch  Tories.— Eutlierford' s  Cherokee 
Campaign. — Marches  to  Watauga. — Appointed  Colonel.— Ser^'cs  in 
Georgia. — New  River  Scout. —  King's  Mountain. — Hangs  Coyle 
and  Brown. —  Captured  by  Tories  and  his  Rescue. — Riddle  and 
Wells  Hung. —  Other  Tory  Brigands  Taken — A'ichols,  Tate,  and 
Harrison. —  Thumbing  the  Notch. — Reforming  Tories. — Remo-'cs  to 
Tugalo. — Hangs  Dinkins. — Appointed  Judge. — Anecdote. —  Great 
Size,  Death,  and  Character. 

Major  Joseph  Winston  Noticed.— Ben.  Herndon.—Micajah  and  Joel 
Lewis. — Robert  and  John  Cleveland.— Jesse  Franklin.— William 
Lenoir— John  Barton— William  Meredith,  and  Minor  Smith. — 
John  Brown  and  Samuel  Johnson. — David  and  John  Wither- 
spoon. — Jo.  Herndon,  Richard  Allen,  and  Elisha  Reynolds. 

A  beauty  of  the  time  of  Charles  the  First — so  runs  the 
stor}^ — named  Elizabeth  Cleveland,  a  daughter  of  an  oOicer 
of  the  palace  of  Hampton  Court,  attracted  the  attention  of 
her  sovereign,  and  an  amour  was  the  result.  When  Oliver 
Cromwell  became  the  rising  star  of  the  empire,  the  same 
charms  won  his  sympathies,  and  a  son  was  born  unto  them. 
The  mother  retired  from  the  public  gaze,  and  subse- 
quendy  married  a  Mr.  Bridge.  When  this  wild  colt  of  a 
son  grew  up,  he  took  his  mother's  name  and  was  the 
reputed  author  of  a  book — "  T/ic  Life  and  Adventures  of 
Mr.  CroDi-aell,  Xatiinxl  son  of  Oliver  Cronnvell,''  pub- 
lished after  his  death,  by  consent  of  his  son,  first  in  1731,  a 
second  edition,  with  a  French  translation  in  1741,  and  yet 
another  edition  in  1 760. 


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AV/VG '  S  MO  UNTAIN 


The  perusal  of  this  work,  more  than  thirty  years  ago, 
left  on  the  mind  of  the  writer  the  strong  conviction  tluit  it 
was  a  romance,  and  a  recent  re-examination  of  it  conurms 
that  opinion.  Noble,  in  his  learned  production  on  the 
Cromivcll  Family,  published  nearly  a  century  since, 
declares  that  these  pretended  Adventures  are  "too  marvel- 
ous to  be  true ;"  and  a  writer  in  Notes  and  Ji^ier/es,  in 
1856,  states  that  from  "  the  extraordinary  adventures  related 
in  it,"  he  "considers  it  a  fictitious  nairative."  Whether 
or  not  this  work  is  a  romance,  or  records  a  series  of  facts 
more  wonderful  than  fiction,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that 
Colonel  Benjamin  Cleveland  had  a  copy  of  it,  to  which  he 
used  to  point  with  no  little  pride,  claiming  his  descent 
through  this  "  Mr.  Cleveland,"  from  the  illustrious  Oliver 
Cromwell.  Others  of  the  Cleveland  connection  made  the 
same  claim. 

While  Noble,  Guizot,  and  other  writers  on  Cromwell, 
agree  that  the  renowned  Protector,  with  all  his  religious 
seeming,  "  probably  had  natural  children,"  yet  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly doubtful  if  our  King's  Mountain  hero  descended 
from  any  such  questionable  origin.  History  informs  us, 
that  the  Clevelands  were  an  ancient  family,  deriving  their 
name  from  a  tract  of  country  in  the  North  Riding  of  York- 
shire, England,  still  called  Cleveland.  Tradition  designates 
Alexander  Cleveland,  Sr.  and  Jr.  ;  and  that  John  Cleve- 
land, with  his  father,  the  younger  Alexander  Cleveland, 
early  migrated  to  Virginia,  and  married  a  Miss  Martha 
Coffee.  He  settled  on  the  since  famous  Bull  Run,  in 
Prince  William  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  employ- 
ment of  a  house-joiner.  His  son,  Benjamin  Cleveland,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  there  May  twenty-sixth, 
1738;  and  while  yet  very  young,  his  father  removed  some 
sixty  miles  to  the  south-west,  locating  in  a  border  setde- 
ment  on  Blue  Run,  some  six  or  eight  miles  above  its 
junction  with  the  Rapidan,  in  Orange  Coimty,  near  the  line 
of  Albemarle.     Not  only  young  Cleveland's  parents,  but 


m 


lits 


but 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


427 


his  gratuinulicr  Cleveland  anil  wife  also  settled  on  Blue 
Run;  the  latter  couple  dyin^^r  there,  about  1770,  within 
three  days  of  each  other,  when  about  a  Imndred  years 
old  *  ;  and  here  his  parents  lived  and  died  at  a  j^ood  old  age. 

W  hen  about  twehe  }  ears  old,  and  his  parents  were  both 
absent,  some  drunken  rowdies  called  at  the  house,  and 
began  to  throw  the  stools  into  the  lire.  Little  Ben,  satisfied 
what  his  father  would  do  were  he  at  home,  snatched  the 
old  man's  rille  from  its  hooks,  and  simply  said,  "gentle- 
men, do  you  see  this?"  They  saw  it,  and  the  3'outh's 
detei  mined  attitude,  which  led  them  to  think  discretion  the 
better  part  of  valor,  when  one  of  the  party  said  to  his 
fellows:  "We'd  better  be  otT;  we  don't  know  what  this 
excited  child  might  do."  So  the  brave  lad  put  the  lawless 
drunkards  to  flight,  and  saved  his  father's  property. 

Nor  was  it  inebriates  alone  that  young  Cleveland  early 
learned  to  vanquish.  Like  Nimrod  of  old,  he  became  "  a 
mighty  hunter ;  "  and,  like  Daniel  Boone,  he  had  an  uncon- 
querable aversion  to  the  tame  drudger}-  of  farm  life,  as  he 
regarded  it.  lie  spent  much  of  his  time  from  earl}'  youth 
in  the  wilderness,  securing  pelts  and  furs,  which  found  a 
ready  market.  The  heads  of  the  Dan,  Staunton  and  Pig 
rivers,  in  the  region  that  subsequently  became  Pittsylvania 
County,  was  a  favorite  resort  for  hunters,  and  here  young 
Cleveland  reaped  his  forest  harvests.  Fire  hunting,  at 
that  day,  was  a  very  common  mode  of  entrapping  the  deer 
in  warm  weather,  when  they  repaired  to  particular  localides 
at  night  in  shallow  streams,  where  Uiey  could  find  succulent 
food,  and  be  less  exposed  to  tormenting  insects.  The 
torchlights  of  the  hunters  would  so  dazzle  the  fated  deer's 


*Thi<  fact  is  civcn  nn  the  autlinrity  nf  Maj.  Inhn  Reild,  of  Henry  County,  Va.,  to  the 
writer  in  1849,  who  was  born  in  Orange  County,  Va.,  in  1755,  and  personally  know  these 
old  people.  If  then.  Alexander  Cleveland,  the  younger,  who  died  about  1770,  was  a  liun 
dred  years  old,  he  must  have  been  boin  about  1670 — only  seventeen  years  after  Cromwell 
became  Protector.  This  would  seem  to  spoil  the  story  of  descent  from  Oliver  Cromwell 
through  the  pretended  "Mr.  Cromwell";  and  that  he  must  have  descended  from 
Alexander  Cleveland,  Sr.,  whose  birth  evidently  was  considerably  anterior  to  the  time  of 
the  Protectorate. 


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428 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


attention,  that  he  would  stand  in  amazement  watching  the 
strange  light,  while  the  wary  hunter  had  only  to  blaze  away 
at  its  glaring  eyes,  and  bring  down  the  stupid  animal. 

There  was  an  old  Dutchman  in  that  region  who  had  a 
good  stand  for  tire-hunting,  and  young  Cleveland  concluded 
he  would  scare  him  out  of  it.  Pealing  some  bark  frum  a 
tree,  he  placed  it  in  the  water  so  as  to  represent  a  counterfeit 
deer.  The  next  night,  he  hid  himself  near  by  where  he  could 
watch  operations.  In  due  time,  the  Dutch  hunter  made  his 
appearance — tired  on  the  supposed  deer,  without  apparently 
bringing  him  down  ;  then  repeated  his  shot,  and  still  the 
deer  remained  unmoved.  The  Dutchman  now  becoming 
alarmed,  exclaimed,  "  Its  de  duy-vil ;"  and  (jurckly  aband- 
oned that  hunting  ground — Cleveland  chuckling  not  a  little 
over  the  success  of  his  stratagem. 

At  length  young  Cleveland  married,  in  Orange  County, 
Miss  Mary  Graves — of  an  excellent  family,  whose  father 
was  in  quite  comfortable  circumstances.  Tradition  tells  us 
that  Cleveland  took  an  active  part  in  the  French  and  Indian 
war;  but  the  particulars  are  lost  to  history.  He,  no  doubt, 
in  that  border  conflict  became  initiated  into  military  lile, 
which  proved  a  preparatory  school  for  his  Revolutionary 
ser\'ices.  But  his  marriage  did  not  reform  his  idle  and 
reckless  habits.  He  still  loved  gaming,  horse-racing,  and 
the  wild  frolicking  common  on  the  frontiers.  In  company 
with  Joseph  Martin — afterwards  General  Martin — he  put  in 
a  field  of  wheat  on  Pig  river,  about  the  year  1767,  where  he 
settled  some  four  years  betbre  ;  but  they  were  too  indolent 
to  fence  it  properly.  When  harvest  time  came,  there  was 
something  of  a  crop.  As  was  the  custom  of  the  times,  they 
invited  their  friends  to  join  them  in  cutting  the  grain ;  for 
which  hilarious  occasion  some  liquor  and  a  fiddler  were 
provided,  and  a  good  time  was  necessary  before  entering 
upon  the  w(n-k,  which  ended  in  a  debauch,  and  the  grain 
was  never  harvested. 

To    break   away   from    such    habits    and    associations, 


1'       '•■'! 


In 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


429 


Cleveland,  about  1769,  removed,  with  liis  father-in-law  and 
family,  to  North  Carolina,  and  settled,  near  the  foot  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  on  the  waters  of  Roaring  Creek,  a  northern 
aflluent  of  the  Yadkin,  in  what  was  then  Rowan,  afterwards 
Surry,  and  a  few  years  later  Wilkes  County.  Here  Cleve- 
land, with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Graves'  servants,  opened  a  farm, 
raised  stock,  and  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  hunting.  At 
some  sub>;equent  period,  he  located  on  the  noted  tract,  on 
the  northern  bank  of  the  Yadkin,  lifteen  miles  below 
Wilkesboro,  known  as  the  Round  vl/;f///— taking  its  name 
from  the  horse-shoe  shape  of  the  land,  nearly-  surrounded 
by  the  river. 

From  Daniel  Boone,  who  was  among  the  earliest 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  Yadkin  Valley,  Cleveland  learned 
of  the  Kentucky  country — that  land  of  cane  and  pea-vine, 
abounding  with  deer  and  bulTalo.  Its  wild  charms,  its  rich 
lands,  and  its  teeming  game,  rendered  it  the  hunter's  para- 
dise. Such  attractions  as  these  Cleveland  could  not  resist. 
In  the  summer  of  about  1772,  in  compan}-  with  Jesse 
Walton,  Jesse  Bond,  Edward  Rice,  and  William  High- 
tower,  he  set  out  on  a  trip  of  hunting  and  exploration,  in 
quest  of  the  beautiful  land  of  Kentucky.  WHien  they  had 
safely  passed  Cumberland  Gap,  and  entered  ujion  the 
borders  of  the  famous  hunting  grounds,  with  cheerful  hopes 
and  glowing  prospects,  they  were  unexpectedly  met  and 
plundered  by  a  party  of  Cherokees,  of  all  their  guns,  horses, 
peltr}-,  and  every  thing  they  possessed,  even  to  their  hats 
and  shoes.  A  poor  old  shot  gun  was  given  in  turn,  with 
a  couple  of  charges  of  powder  and  shot,  when  they  were 
threateningly  ordered  to  leave  the  Indian  hunting-grounds. 
They  had  no  alternative.  On  their  way  home,  they  hus- 
banded their  ammunition  as  long  as  possible  ;  with  one  of 
the  charges  they  killed  a  small  deer — the  other  was  spent 
inelTectually.  The}'  had  the  good  fortune  to  catch  a  broken- 
v.'inged  wild  goose,  and  eventually  had  to  kill  their  faith- 
ful litUe  hunting  dog,  greatly  to  their  regret ;  and  Cleve- 


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Mil'i 


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430 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


land,  in  after  years,  used  to  say  that  this  dog  was  tame, 
under  the  circumstances,  the  sweetest  animal  food  he  ever 
ate.  With  this  scanty  supply,  ami  a  few  berries,  they 
manai;ed  to  hold  out  till  they  reached  the  settlements,  but 
in  a  nearly  faniishod  condition. 

Several  monllis  afterwards,  Cleveland  made  up  a  parly 
of  chosen  men — among  whom  was  William  Ilighlower, 
who  wended  their  way  to  the  Cherokee  towns,  determined 
to  recover  the  horses  that  had  been  taken  from  them.  From 
some  circumstance  not  now  known,  Ilightower  gave  name 
to  the  Ilightower  or  Etowah  river.  Cleveland  applied  to 
a  noted  Cherokee  chief,  known  among  the  whiti'S  as  Big 
Bear,  who  replied  that  the  Indians  who  had  his  horses 
would  be  likely  to  kill  him  as  soon  as  they  should  learn  the 
object  of  his  mission  ;  but,  he  added  by  way  of  compliment, 
"  if  you  were  to  be  killed,  I  should  claim  that  honor,  as 
one  big  warrior  ought  only  to  be  slain  by  another."  Big 
Bear  sent  an  escort  with  Cleveland  to  the  several  towns  to 
aid  him  in  reclaiming  his  property'.  He  succeeded  without 
much  dilllculty,  except  in  the  last  case.  The  Indian  having 
the  horse,  showed  tight,  raised  his  tomahawk,  and  Cleve- 
land cocked  his  rifle,  when  his  friendly  escort  interposed, 
and  saved  their  red  brother  from  a  fatal  shot,  by  throwing 
him  to  the  ground  ;  but  not  before  he  had  hurled  his  battle- 
ax'e  at  his  antagonist,  which  happily  did  no  other  harm 
than  cutting  away  a  part  of  the  bosom  of  Cleveland's  hunting 
shirt.  Then  Cleveland,  at  the  instance  of  his  Indian  guides, 
mounted  his  newly  recovered  horse,  which  was  at  hand,  and 
was  riding  away,  when  a  ball  from  the  rifle  of  the  enraged 
Cherokee,  wounded  the  animal,  but  not  seriously.  Return- 
ing to  Big  Bear's  village,  that  chief  increased  the  guard  ;  and 
Cleveland  and  part}'  retired  with  tlieir  horses  in  triumph. 
On  their  way  back  to  North  Carolina,  they  went  by  the  Tu- 
galo  countr}^  winch  greatly  attracted  Cleveland's  attention. 

Reuben  Stringer  was  a  noted  woodsman  of  the  Llppcr 
Yadkin  Valley,  and  was  often  Cleveland's  associate  in  his 


'g 


IK 


ti- 


ns 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


431 


huntinjT  aclvcmurcs.  Thry  took  an  oik  liiinl  togetlier,  in 
tin;  montli  of  August,  when  these  animals  were  in  their 
prime  The  elk  were  larj^e,  and  \v\-\;  wild,  and  gradually 
retired  before  the  ailvancing  settlements.  A  few  years 
anterior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  they  were  yet  to  be  fuund 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  ranges  on  the  heads  of  New 
river.  Pursuing  a  wounded  elk,  Cleveland  in  attempting  to 
intercept  him  at  ii  roek}-  point  of  the  river,  where  he  ex- 
pected the  animal  w(.uUl  cross  tlu'  stream,  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  number  of  rattle-snakes,  coiled,  hissing, 
and  fearfully  sounding  their  alarm  rattles  on  every  hand. 
From  this  dangiM'ous  diicmma,  his  only  deliverance  seemed 
to  be  an  instantaneous  plunge  into  the  river,  which  he  made 
without  a  moment's  hesitation,  and  thus  probably  escaped  a 
horrid  death. 

While  Stringer  was  busy  one  day  in  preparing  a  fire  for 
cooking  some  of  their  wild  meat  for  a  repast,  Cle\eland 
spread  his  blanket  on  the  ground,  beneath  a  cluster  of  large 
white  oaks,  to  rest  himself,  and  scjon  fell  asleep.  In  a  few 
moments  he  suddenly  awakened,  in  a  startled  condition — 
wh3%  he  could  not  tell — and,  casting  his  eyes  into  the  tree- 
tops  above,  he  discovered  a  large  limb,  directly  overhead, 
nearly  broken  (MT,  hanging  only  by  a  slight  splinter  to  its 
parent  stem.  He  said  to  his  companion,  pointing  to  the 
object  of  his  alarm:  "Look,  Reuben,  and  see  what  an 
ugly  thing  we  have  camped  under  !"  "  It  has,  indeed,  an 
ugh'  appearance;  "  replied  Stringer,  "but  since  it  has  ap- 
parently hung  a  great  while  in  that  condition,  it  ma}'  very 
likely  do  so  a  good  while  longer."  "Ah",  said  Cleveland, 
"  as  long  as  it  has  hung  there,  there  is  a  time  for  it  to  come 
down,  and  I  will  not  be  in  the  way  of  danger,"  and  gathered 
up  his  blanket,  to  spread  it  in  a  safer  place.  As  he  was 
passing  the  fire,  he  heard  a  crack  above — the  splinter  had 
broken,  and  the  limb  came  tumbling  down,  plunging  its 
three  prongs  directly  into  the  ground  where  Cleveland  had 
but  a  moment  before  lain.     They    pulled    over   the    fallen 


y  , 


1 


\-\  t 


:4: 


i 

2. 

i 

Els 

f 

! 

V^,-^ 


432 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


limb,  iind  found  its  prong's  had  pcnrtratcd  into  tho  earth  to 
tljo  di'ptli  of  lourli'i'n  inches.  Strin<^or  eon^^M-atulated  his 
comrade  on  his  Ibrtiinate  awakini;  and  removal,  "for,"  he 
added,  "  in  one  minute  more,  you  would  have  been  inevit- 
ably killed."  "Ah,  Reuben,"  said  Cleveland,  who  was 
very  much  of  a  fatalist,  "  I  always  told  you  that  no  man 
would  die  till  his  appointed  time  ;  and  when  it  comes,  there 
can  be  no  possible  escape." 

But  Cleveland's  huntiii}^  days  ^vere  about  to  end.  It 
was  no  longer  a  war  with  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest,  but 
with  his  fellow  men.  The  story  of  Colonial  taxation  by  the 
King  and  Parliament  reached  the  Yadkin  Valley,  and 
Cleveland  was  among  the  fh'st  to  resent  the  threatened  tyr- 
anu}- ;  and  soon  came  the  tidings  of  Lexington  and  Bunker 
Hill.  North  Carolina  was  organized  into  companies,  regi- 
ments, and  brigades  ;  and,  on  the  lirst  of  September,  1775, 
Cleveland  was  appointed  an  Ensign  in  the  second  regiment, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Robert  Howe.  But  he 
seems  not  to  have  accepted  it,  preferring  to  serve  in  the 
militia  in  his  immediate  locality,  wliere  he  judged  his 
presence  and  ellorts  would  be  more  uselul. 

During  1775,  when  Cleveland's  neighbors  and  friends 
of  the  Upper  Yadkin  Vahey  had  occasion  to  go  to  Cross 
Creek  to  dispose  of  their  surplus  productions,  and  purchase 
their  supplies  of  iron,  sugar,  salt,  and  other  necessaries, 
they  were  compelled,  before  they  were  permitted  to  buy  or 
sell,  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  King.  When 
Cleveland  heard  of  these  tyrannical  acts,  and  attempts  to 
forestall  the  politics  of  the  people,  he  swore  roundly  that 
he  would  like  nothing  better  than  to  dislodije  those  Scotch 
scoundrels  at  Cross  Creek.  Nor  was  an  opportunity  long 
wanting.  In  Februar}',  1776,  the  Highland  Tories  of  that 
locality  raised  the  British  standard,  when  Captain  Cleve- 
land marched  down  from  the  mountains  with  a  party  of 
volunteer  riflemen  ;  and,  tradition  has  it,  that  he  reached 
the  front  in  season  to  share  in  the  fight,  and  in  the  suppres- 


AND  ITS  IIFROF.S. 


A?,?, 


sinn  f)f  the  revolt.  lie  .scoiirod  tlie  country  in  the  region  of 
Wake  Forest,  capturing  several  outlaws,  some  of  whom  he 
hung  to  the  trees  in  the  woods ;  one  of  whom  was  Captain 
Jackson,  wlio  was  executi'd  within  half  a  mile  of  Ransom 
Sutherland's  homestead,  wliose  houses  and  nuMchandi/.e, 
Jackson  had  caused  to  be  laid  in  ashes  a  few  days  after  the 
battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge.  "  I  don't  recollect,"  said 
Colonel  Sutherland,  in  ihcA'arih  Carol inaUniversUy  Mcii^a- 
zinc,  for  September,  1854,  "  after  Cleveland  had  done  with 
them,  to  have  heard  much  more  of  those  wretches  durini; 
the  war."  In  this  service,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it,  Cleveland 
was  under  Colonel  James  Moore,  who  had  :h  rved  with  credit 
on  tlie  frontiers  in  the  old  French  and  Indian  war,  anil 
whose  determined  bravery  gave  him  thiiso/frujncl  of  "  Mad 
Jimmic"  among  the  soldiery;  and  for  ^ears  thereafter, 
Moore  was  tlie  theme  of  Cleveland's  admiration. 

When  the  Cherokees  were  inveigled  by  tlie  Britisli  into 
hostilities.  Captain  Cleveland,  in  the  summer  of  1776,  served 
a  tour  of  duty  in  scouting  on  theWestern  frontier  of  the  State  ; 
and,  shortly  after,  getting  intelligence  that  a  Tory  Colonel 
Roberts  had  embodied  a  number  of  Loyalists  on  the  north- 
west side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  on  the  borders  of  North  Caro- 
linia  and  Virginia,  he  went  in  quest  of  them  ;  but  hearing 
of  this  pursuit,  they  disbanded  and  dispersed.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  that  year,  when  General  Rutherford  led  a  strong 
force  against  the  Cherokees,  Cleveland  and  his  company 
went  on  the  campaign,  in  the  Surry  regiment,  under  Colonel 
Joseph  Williams*  and  Major  Joseph  Winston.  William  Le- 
noir, who  was  Cleveland's  Lieutenant,  was  accustomed,  in 
after  years,  to  recount  the  hardships  and  privations  the  troo])s 

'•'Colonel  Williams  was  liorn  in  TIanover  County,  Virginia.  M:irrh  twenty-seventh, 
1748  ;  niiKrated  in  17^^  to  Granville  County,  North  Carolina,  where  he  married  Rchecca, 
daiiKhtcr  of  Thomas  I^anier.  and  shortly  after  settled  near  the  Shallow  Ford  of  Vadkin,  in 
what  afterwards  became  Surry  County.  When  that  County  was  organized,  he  was  made 
Colonel,  and  led  his  regiment  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  campaign  in  1776.  He  shared  in 
defeating  the  Tory  leaders,  Colonel  Gideon  and  Captain  Hezlkiah  Wright,  at  the  head  of 
three  hundred  and  ten  Loyalists,  at  the  Shallow  Ford,  October,  fifteenth,  1780  Colonel 
Williams  died  August  eleventh,  1827. 
28 


I 


434 


KING'S  MOUNT/ IN 


had  to  sufl'er  on  th;it  service — often  destitute  of  provisions, 
without  tents,  with  but  few  bhinkets,  dressed  in  clothnig 
made  of  rude  materials,  derived  from  liemp,  tow,  and  the 
wild  nettle.  Tliough  often  harrassed  on  their  march  by 
parties  in  ambus) i,  there  was  no  general  engagement — 
Captain  Cleveland  sharing  in  the  skirmishes  and  bush- 
whackings  of  the  campaign.  The  villages  and  setUements  of 
the  hostile  Cherokees  were  laid  waste,  their  crops  and  pro- 
visions destroyed,  and  they  were  compelled  to  sue  for 
peace. 

Such  was  the  hig'i  c-iumate  placed  on  Captain  Cleve- 
land's fitness  for  frontier  service,  that  early  in  the  spring  of 
1777,  he  was  selected  to  lead  his  company  to  the  Watauga 
settlements,  to  serve  a  tour  for  tlieir  protection  against  the 
yet  troublesome  Cherokees.  After  passing  the  rugged  in- 
tervening mountain  country,  and  reaching  the  Watauga 
Valley,  Cleveland  and  his  men  made  their  head-quarters  at 
Carter's  Fort,  while  the  Virginia  troops  were  stationed  at 
the  Long  Island  of  Ilolston.  Thougn  scouting  was  kept  up, 
every  pains  were  taken  to  bring  the  Indians  to  terms.  Cleve- 
land's company  concentrated,  with  the  odier  forces,  a';  the 
Long  Island,  where  the  celebrated  treaty,  in  July  of  that 
3'ear,  was  held,  and  at  which  Major  Winston  was  one  of 
the  Commissioners.  When  peace  was  made,  the  Wilkes 
troops  returned  to  their  distant  home. 

In  the  autumn  of  1777,  Captain  Cleveland  attended  the 
Legislature — not  as  a  member,  but  to  use  his  influence  for 
the  divisuin  of  Surry,  and  the  formation  of  a  new  County, 
for  the  better  convenience  of  the  Upper  Yadkin  settlements. 
Wilkes  County,  thus  formed,  was  named  in  honor  of  John 
Wilkes,  noted  for  his  steady  opjiosition  in  Parliament  to  the 
American  war.  In  March,  1778,  when  the  new  County  was 
organized,  Cleveland  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  commis- 
sion of  Justices,  and  was  made  Colonel  of  the  militia.  Ilencc- 
lorth  we  nnd  Colonel  Cleveland  in  -igular  attendance  as 
one  of  the  Justices  of  the  County  Court,  and  generally  the 


hut 


;cs 


the 

tor 


iUV 


)hu 
the 

IWilS 

niis- 


ncc- 


AA'D  ITS  HEROES. 


435 


as 


Uk 


principal  bondsman  for  the  SheritTand  other  Count}'  onicors. 
lie  was  also  often  called  on  to  fill  other  positions — Com- 
missioner for  seizing  confiscated  estates,  Superintendent  of 
elections,  and  County  Ranger  or  Stray  Master.  In  1778, 
he  was  chosen  to  represent  \Vilk(!s  County  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  popular  leaders 
of  the  mountain  region  of  the  State. 

On  one  occasion,  soon  after  the  regiment  was  orgaijized, 
it  was  ordered  on  service  to  the  frontier;;  to  quell  some 
Tory  disturbance.  After  no  little  indiscriminate  plunder- 
in.<r  of  both  Whitrs  and  Tories,  they  returned  home  before 
the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service,  with  tlieir  ill-got- 
ten gains,  before  Colonel  Cleveland  was  able  to  join  theni. 
lie  was  highly  displeased  with  their  conduct,  swearing, 
roundly  that  he  would  shoot  the  ring-leaders  ;  but  lie  iinally 
a<irecd  to  foruive  them  on  t\vo  conditions — the  rcftoration  of 
their  dishonorable  plunderings,  and  to  tlu'  end  of  the  war. 
tMrning  out  on  a  minute's  warning.  All  who  had  .shareil  in 
the  disgraceful  pillage,  returned  ih^  spoils  of  every  kind, 
and  were  ever  after  prompt  to  engagv^  in  any  service  at  the 
shortest  notice. 

When  the  British  invaded  Georgui,  in  1778,  General 
Rutherford  led  a  force  from  the  b;xk  part  of  North  Caro- 
lina, of  which  at  least  a  portion  of  Colonel  Cleveland's  regi- 
ment formed  a  part.  They  repaired  to  Georgia,  and  shared 
in  the  winter  campaign  of  177S-79,  which  culminated  in  the 
disastrous  defeat  of  General  Ashe,  at  Brier  Creek,  before 
Lincoln  and  Rutherford  could  come  to  his  aid.  Returning 
from  this  service.  Colonel  Cleveland  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent his  Countv  in  the  Slate  Senate.  In  the  summer  of  t  780, 
he  was  constantly  employed  in  suppressing  the  Tories — lirst 
in  marching  against  those  assembled  at  Ramsour's  mill, 
reaching  there  shortly  after  their  defeat ;  then  in  chasing 
Colonel  Bryan's  band  from  the  State  ;  and  finally  in  scour- 
ing the  region  of  New  river  in  checking  the  Tory  rising  in 
that  quarter,  capturing  and  hanging  some  of  their  notorious- 
leaders  and  outlaws. 


t       \, 


^  w^ 


nr. .    :■ 


•Iffl 


pr 


436 


KING'S  MOUNTAfN 


Then  ffilliAvcd  his  King's  Moiintiiin  campaign — the 
great  service  of  his  life — the  wounding,  whih;  on  the  way, 
of  his  brother,  Lieutenant  Larkin  CIcvtlaiuKhv  a  "^Fory  party 
unci 'r  Captain  John  Murray,  near  T^mclady's  Slioals  ;  and 
then  hurrying  forward  to  grapple  with  the  indomitable  I'^'er- 
guson.  The  poet  Ilayne  notices  Cleveland  in  tliis  battle  as 
though  lie  were  a  very  round  head  of  Cromwel  f(:rv(;rand 
time  : 

"Now,  l)y  God's  grncc,"  (  r  ii'l  Clovclnn'l  my  nfihlc  Colotutl  he, 
Resliiifj  to  pick  a  Tory  f)lf,  fjiiite  (ooly  oi  his  kn  ■-,- 
"  Now,  liy  (jod's  f^raci--,  w<;  iiavi;  thiiii !  the  snare  is  suldly  si:t  ; 
Tlie  fjaiiic  is  bayj^ed :  we  hold  them  hafe  as  |)lieasaiits  in  a  net." 

His  heroic  loearintr  in  the  contest,  and  his  (,'xcitin<{  nn- 
counter  with  the  half-cra/ed  Rcnven,  eacli  sf)  fortunately  es- 
caping fatal  results,  liave  been  already  related.  Hesides 
having  assigned  to  hin..  by  general  consent,  (jne  of  T'er- 
guson's  war  horses,  vvhiv.li  lived  to  an  uncommon  gre-at  age-, 
111-  carri(;d  home  with  him  a  snare-drinn,  to  which  he  pointed 
with  pride  as  a  King's  Mountain  trophy,  as  long  as  he  lived. 
There  can  be  noqueslion  but  Colonel  Cleveland  was  con- 
spicuous in  bringing  about  liie  execution  of  the  Tory  lead- 
ers at  liickerstalFs.  His  whole  career  during  the  war  goes 
to  show  thatlu-  was  severe  in  his  treatment  of  tlu;  Tories — 
perhaps  not  unjusUy  so,  considering  the  times  and  circum- 
stances of  an  (.'xposed  fre>ntier,  when  the  execution  of  civil 
law  was  so  infrequent  and  imc(;rtain.  His  brief  comiTiand 
(A-er  tlu;  Tory  pris(jnt;rs  at  Bethabara  has  been  elsewhere 
noticed.  Sometime  in  November  ensuing,  James  Coyle  or 
Cowl(;s,  and  John  IJrown — or  Jones,  as  Wheeler  has  it — 
two  notorious  'Vu\-\  |)limderers,  passing  through  Lincoln 
Count}',  robbed  the  house  (jf  Major  Cjc^orgeVV^ilfongof  every- 
thing they  could  carry  away,  and  then  made  ofl'  with  a 
couple  of  his  horses.  Major  Wilfong  with  a  party  followed 
the  culprits,  ovt.'rtaking  them  near  Wilkesboro,  recoverinl 
the  horsc.'s,  but  the  ruflians  mad(!  good  their  escajie.  They 
had  appropriated  Wilfong's  clothes-lin'-  for  halters,  which 
the  Maj(jr  kit  behind,  with  which  to  hang  the  rascals  slundd 


,il 


Ol" 


a 

iUl 


AND  I  IS  JIEROES. 


437 


they  ever  he  taken.  Shortly  after,  ;•-;  tlu:y  were  returning 
towards  Ninety  .Six,  they  wen;  apprehended  hy  some 
of  Ch'veland's  scouts,  and  l)rf)ii}^dit  to  Wilkesbonj,  where 
Colonel  Cleveland  ord(!n;d  them  hun;^  with  Wilfon^r's  ropes. 
All  adinill(;(l  that  thoiigli  tlu;  execution  wassununary,  it  was 
nevertheless  just. 

l*>arly  in  1781,  when  General  Greene  was  manoMncrin;^ 
on  th<'  upj)rr  boi-der  of  Xortii  Carolina,  Colonel  Cleveland 
raised  abf)ut  a  hundred  riflitmen,  went  to  his  assistance, 
serving  awhih;  in  tlu:  advance  partii's  of  light  infantr}',  but 
returned  home  from  their  toin*  of  duty  a  little  beftjre  the 
conflict  at  Cjiiilford. 

'I'o  Colonel  Cleveland,  wliose  career  was  replete  with 
perilous  ad\entures,  an  m  eiuTi  iu:e  now  transpire;  ',,  which 
at  one  time  threatened  tlie  n;ost  tragic  termination  ;  and 
which,  ff)r  its  hair-breadth  escap(;s,  may  be  regarded  as  the 
most  nota'ule  evi-nt  of  his  life.  Some  thirty-fi\'e  miles 
t'rom  his  home  at  the  Kound-About  on  tiie  Yadkin,  and 
some;  twent}-  norlh-west  ol"  Wilkesborr),  and  in  the  south- 
eastern portion  r)f  the  present  County  of  Ashe,  was  a  well- 
known  locality,  mostly'  on  the  northern  bank  of  the'  South 
Fork  of  New  river,  called  lln'  ()/<i  Fields — which  at  some 
previous  ]ieriod,  was  probably  the  cjiiiet  home  (jf  a  wander- 
inix  baml  of  Cherokees.  These  Old  I'^ields  belou'red  to 
Colonel  '"'leveland,  and  served,  in  peace-ful  times,  as  a  graz- 
ing region  foi"  his  stock. 

Having  occasion  In  visit  his  New  River  plantation. 
Colonel  Cleveland  rode  there,  ai  inpanii'd  only  by  a  negro 
servant,  arri\ing  at  Jesse  Duncan's,  his  tenant,  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  f)ld  l-'ields,  on  Saturday,  the  Ann'teenth  of  April, 
\']H\.  LJnIbrtunately  for  the  Colotiel,  Captain  William 
Riddle,  a  nf)ted  Tory  leadei'.  son  ol'  the  I.,oyalist  Colonel 
James  Riddle,  of  Surrv  County,  was  approaching  from  the 
Virginia  border  with  Captain  Ross,  a  Whig  captive,  whom 
he  had  taken,  together  with  his  servant,  and  now  en  ronlc 
for  Ninety    Six,  where  a   British  reward  appears  to  have 


ir 


mnwH 


438 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


hvx'w  paid  for  prisoners.  Rickllc,  with  his  party  ot'  six  or 
eight  men,  reaching  Benjamin  Cutbirth's,  some  four  miles 
above  the  Old  Fields,  a  fine  old  Whig,  and  an  old  associate 
of  Daniel  Boone,  who  liad  only  partially  recovered  from  a 
severe  spell  of  fever.  The  Tory  Captain,  probabh^  from 
Gutbirth's  reticence  regarding  solicited  information,  shame- 
fully abused  him,  and  placed  him  under  guard. 

Descending  the  river  to  the  upper  end  of  the  Old  Fields, 
where  Joseph  and  Timothv  Perkins  resided — about  a  mile 
above  Duncan's — both  of  whom  were  absent  in  Tory 
service,  Riddle  learned  from  their  women,  that  Cleveland 
was  but  a  short  distance  away,  at  Duncan's,  with  only  his 
servant,  Duncan,  and  one  or  two  of  the  Callaway  family 
tliere.  Every  Tory  in  the  country  knew  full  well  of  Cleve- 
land's inveterate  hatred  of  their  race  ;  how  prominently  he 
had  ligured  at  King's  Mountain,  and  had  given  his  influ- 
ence for  the  Tory  exectitions  at  Bickerstaff's,  and  caused 
the  summary  hanging  of  (!^oyle  and  Brown  at  Wilkesboro. 
Riddle  well  judged  that  such  a  prisoner  would  be  a  prize  to 
take  along  to  Ninety  Six,  or  it  would  prove  no  small  honcjr 
to  any  Loyalist  to  rid  the  Rebel  cause  of  so  untiring  and  dis- 
tinguishcd  a  leailer  in  the  Southern  country. 

The  prospect  of  making  Cleveland  his  prisoner  was  too 
tempting  for  Riddle  to  neglect.  11  is  force  was  too  smal!  to 
run  an}'  great  risk,  and  so  he  concluded  to  resort  to  strata- 
gem, lie  resolved,  therefore,  to  steal  Cleveland's  horses  in 
the  quiet  of  the  night,  judging  that  the  Colonel  would  fol- 
low tlieir  trail  the  next  morning,  supposing  they  had  strayed 
otr,  when  he  would  ambuscade  him  at  some  suitable  place, 
and  thus  take  "  Old  Ro.nd- About "  as  he  was  called,  una- 
wares, a. id  at  a  disadvantage.  The  horses  were  accord- 
ingly taken  that  night ;  and  a  laurel  thicket  selected,  just 
above  tlie  Perkins'  house,  as  a  fitting  place  to  waylay  their 
expected  pursuers.  During  Saturday,  Richard  Callaway 
and  his  brother-in-law.  John  .Sliirlev,  went  down  from  the 
neiiihborinf;  residence  of  Thomas  Callaway  to  Duncan's,  to 


'/»«. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


439 


see  Colonel  Cleveland,  and  appear  to  have  remained  there 
over  night. 

Discovering  that  the  horses  were  missing  on  Sunday 
morning,  immediate  pursuit  was  made.  Having  a  pair  of 
pistols,  Colonel  Cleveland  retained  one  of  them,  handing 
tlie  other  to  Duncan,  while  Callaway  and  Shirley  were  un- 
armed. Reaching  the  Perkins'  place,  one  of  the  Perkins 
women  knowing  of  the  ambuscade,  secretly  desired  to 
save  the  Colonel  from  his  impending  fate,  so  she  detained 
him,  as  long  as  she  could,  by  conversation,  evidently  fear- 
ing personal  consequences  should  she  divulge  the  scheme 
of  his  enemies  to  entrap  him.  His  three  associates  kept  on, 
with  Cleveland  some  little  distance  behind,  Mrs.  Perkins 
still  following,  and  retarding  him  by  her  inquiries  ;  and  as 
those  in  advance  crossed  the  fence  which  adjoined  the 
thicket,  the  Tories  fired  from  their  places  of  concealment,  one 
aiming  at  Cleveland,  who  though  some  little  distance  in  the 
rear,  was  yet  within  range  of  their  guns,  V  t  they  gener- 
ally sliot  wild — only  one  shot,  that  of  Zachanah  Wells,  who 
aimed  at  Callaway,  proving  effectual,  breaking  his  thigh, 
when  he  fell  helpless  by  the  fence,  and  was  left,  for  dead.* 
Duncan  and  Shirley  escaped.  Cleveland  from  his  great 
weight — fully  three  hundred  poimds — knew  he  could  not  run 
any  great  distance,  and  would  only  be  too  prominent  a  mark 
for  Tory  bullets,  dodged  into  the  house  with  several  Tories 
at  his  heels.  Now,  flourishing  his  pistol  ''ipidly  from  one 
to  another,  they  pledged  to  spare  his  life  and  accord  him 
good  treatment,  if  he  would  quietly  surrender,  which  he  did. 

Wells  by  this  time  having  re-loaded  his  rifle,  made  his 
appearance  on  the  scene,  swearing  that  he  would  kill  Cleve- 
land ;  and  aiming  his  gun,  the  Colonel  instantly  seized  Abi- 


*Richard  Callaway  had  been  Rrievioiisly  wounded  on  the  *■  ..cl,  nrms.  shoulder,  and 
hand  hy  Tarleton's  cavalry,  at  Sumter's  surprise,  Aug.  eiRhtecnth,  1780,  and  left  for  dead  ; 
yet  recovered,  though,  he  had  a  crippled  hand  for  life.  In  due  time  his  broken  limb,  so 
badly  disabled  by  Wells'  unerrini;  shot,  healed  up,  and  he  lived  many  years.  He  aided  in 
running  the  boundary  line  from  the  White  Top  Mountains  to  the  Mississippi,  and  died  in 
Tennessee  in  1822. 


\v\ 


i::s 


i     ■ 


!il 


I ' 


440 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


fjftiil  Walters  wlio  was  present,  and  b)'  dint  of  his  great 
strengtli,  and  under  a  high  state  of  excitement,  dextrou.sly 
luindled  her  as  a  puppet,  ls.eeping"  her  between  him  and  liis 
would-be  assassin.  Wells  seemed  vexed  at  this  turn  in  the 
allair,  and  hurled  his  imprecations  on  the  poor  woman, 
threatening  if  she  did  not  get  out  of  the  way,  that  he  would 
blow  her  through  as  well,  not  appearing  to  realize  Uiat  she 
had  as  little  power  as  a  mouse  in  the  clutches  of  a  ferocious 
cat.  Cleveland  getting  his  eyes  on  Captain  Riddle,  whom 
he  knew,  or  judged  by  his  appearance,  to  be  the  leader, 
appealed  to  him  if  such  treatment  was  not  contrary  to  the 
stipulations  of  his  surrender.  Riddle  promptly  replied  that 
it  was,  and  ordered  Wells  to  desist  from  his  murderous  in- 
tent, saying  that  they  would  take  Cleveland  to  Ninety  Six, 
and  make  money  out  of  his  capture.  The  terrified  woman 
who  had  been  made  an  unwilling  battery,  was  now  released 
from  Cleveland's  grasp  as  from  a  vise  ;  and  the  whole  party 
with  their  prisoner  and  his  servant  were  speedily  mounted, 
and  hurried  up  New  river.  This  stream,  so  near  its  source, 
was  quite  shallow,  and  the  Tories  traveled  mostly  in  its 
bed  to  avoid  being  tracked,  in  case  of  pursuit. 

Soon  al'ter  the  Tory  party  had  called  at  Cutbirth's,  on 
their  way  d  jwn  the  river,  young  Daniel  Cutbirth  and  a 
youth  named  Walters,  who  were  absent  at  the  time, 
returned  ;  and  encouraged  by  Mrs.  Cutbirth,  though  only 
fourteen  or  lilteen  years  of  age,  they  resolved  that 
tlie}-  would  take  their  guns,  select  a  good  spot,  and 
ambuscade  Riddle  on  his  return,  and.  perhaps  rescue  what- 
ever prisoners  he  might  have.  But  on  the  return  of  the 
Tory  party  the  next  day,  they  made  so  much  noise,  and 
gave  so  many  military  commands,  that  led  the  youthful 
ambuscaders  to  conclude  that  uiey  had  received  a  re-in- 
forcement,  and  that  it  would  be  rashness  for  two  single- 
handed  youths  to  undertake  to  cope  with  numbers  so 
unequal.  So  Riddle  and  his  party  reached  Cutbirth's 
undisturbed,    and    ordered   dinner    lor    lu'mself,   men,    and 


50 

's 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


441 


prisoners.  One  of  the  Cutbirth  girls,  not  engaging  wil- 
lingly in  this  service,  received  abuse,  and  even  kicks,  from 
the  Tory  leader.  Their  hunger  ajipeased,  they  proceeded 
up  New  river,  mostly  along  its  bed,  till  they  reached  Elk 
Creek,  up  which  they  made  their  way  in  the  same  manner. 
Colonel  Cleveland,  meanwhile,  managed  unperceived,  to 
break  off  overhanging  twigs,  dropping  tliem  into  the  stream 
to  float  down  as  a  guide  to  his  friends,  who  he  knew  would 
make  an  early  pursuit.  From  the  head  of  the  south  fork 
of  Elk,  they  ascended  up  the  mountains  to  what  has  since 
been  known  as  Riddle's  Knob,  in  what  is  now  Watauffa 
County,  and  some  fourteen  miles  from  the  place  of  Cleve- 
land's captivity,  where  they  camped  for  the  night. 

Early  on  that  Sabbath  morning,  Joseph  Callaway  and 
his  brother-in-law.  Berry  Tone}-,  wishing  to  see  Colonel 
Cleveland  on  business  matters,  called  at  Duncan's,  and 
learned  about  the  missing  horses,  and  the  pursuit ;  and  at 
that  moment  they  heard  the  report  of  the  firing  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  plantation,  and  hastened  in  that  direction, 
soon  meeting  Duncan  and  Shirley  in  rapid  flight,  who 
coidd  only  tell  that  Richard  Callaway  had  fallen,  and 
Colonel  Cleveland  was  either  killed  or  taken.  It  was 
promptly  agreed,  that  Duncan,  Shirley,  and  Toney  sliould 
notify  the  people  of  the  scattered  settlements  to  meet  that 
afternoon  at  the  Old  Fields,  while  Joseph  Callaway  should 
go  to  his  father's,  close  by,  mount  his  horse  and  hasten  to 
Captain  Robert  Cleveland's,  on  Lewis'  Fork  of  the  Yadkin, 
a  dozen  miles  distant.*  His  brother,  William  Callaway, 
started  forthwith  up  the  river,  and  soon  came  across 
Samuel  McQi_ieen  and  Benjamin  Greer,  who  readily  joined 
him  ;  and  all  being  good  woodsmen,  followed  the  Tory 
trail  at  best  they  could,  till  night  overtook  them  when  some 
distance  above  the  mouth  of  Elk  Creek,  and  aboat  ten  miles 
from  the  Old  Fields.     William  Callaway  suggested,  that  he 


*  Joseph  Callaway  was  a  member   from  Ashe   County,  in  tho  House  of  Commons,  in 
1804  and  1806. 


i 


P 


442 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


I 


and  McQiiecn  would  romuin  tlicre,  while  Greer  should 
return  to  jiilot  up  \vhatevt;r  men  may  have  gathered  to 
engage  in  pursuit  of  tlie  Tories. 

By  night-fall,  Captain  Robert  Cleveland  and  others,  to 
the  number  of  twenty  or  thirty,  good  and  tried  men,  who 
had  served  under  Colonel  Cleveland,  had  gathered  at  the 
Old  Fields,  determined  to  rescue  their  old  commander  at 
every  hazard,  even  though  they  should  follow  the  Tory 
party  to  the  gates  of  Ninety  Six.  Greer  made  his  appear- 
ance in  good  time,  and  at  once  they  were  on  the  trail  of  the 
enemy.*  The}^  reached  William  Callaway  and  McQiieen 
awhile  before  day  ;  and  as  soon  as  light  began  to  appear, 
John  Baker  joined  Callaway  and  McQtieen,  to  lead  the 
advance  as  spies.  A  little  after  sun-rise,  having  proceeded 
four  miles,  the}'  discoveied  indications  of  the  enemy's  camp 
on  the  mountain.  But  little  arrangement  was  made  for  the 
attack  ;  nine  men  only  were  in  readiness — the  others  were 
apparently  some  distance  behind ;  and  only  four  or  five  of 
these  were  designated  to  fire  on  the  enemy,  tlie  rest  reserv- 
inij  their  shots  for  a  second  vollev,  or  anv  emergencies  that 
might  happ'Mi — of  these  was  William  Callaway. 

Some  of  the  Tories  had  already  breakfasted,  while 
others  were  busily  employed  in  preparing  their  morning 
meal.  Colonel  Cleveland  was  sitting  on  a  large  fallen  tree, 
engaged,  under  compulsion,  in  writing  passes  for  the 
several  members  of  Captain  Riddle's  part}',  certifying  that 
each  was  a  good  Whig — to  be  used,  when  in  a  tight  place, 
to  help  them  out  of  difiiculty,  by  assuming  that  they  were 
patriots  of  the  truest  type,  Cleveland's  commendation 
passing  unquestioned  along  the  borders  of  Virginia  and 
the  Carolinas.     But  "Old  Round  About"   had    a   strouff 


*  Greer  was  one  of  Cleveland's  heroes.  One  of  his  fcllo'.v  :■  iuiers  stole  his  tobacco 
from  him,  when  he  threatened  he  a'oiiUI  whip  him  lor  it  as  soon  as  he  should  put  his  eyes 
on  him.  Cleveland  expostulated  with  Greer,  tolling  him  his  men  ought  to  fight  the  enemy, 
and  not  each  other.  "  I'll  jiive  him  a  hint  o{  it,  any  way,"  said  Greer,  and  when  he  met 
the  tobacco  pilferer,  he  knocked  him  down.  Greer's  hint  was  lonji  a  bv-word  in  all  that 
region. — Col,  W.  W.  Lenoir. 


\i'ii«-j« 


mm^mmrfmrm^ 


'^ 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


443 


suspicion  that  their  urgency  (or  tliese  passports  betokened 
that  the  moment  they  were  completed,  his  days  would  be 
numbered;  and  thus  naturally  but  a  poor  penman,  he 
purposely  retarded  his  task  as  mucli  as  possil)le,  hoping  to 
gain  time  for  the  expected  relief",  apologizing  lor  his 
blunders,  and  renewing  his  unwilling  etlbrts.  Several  of 
the  Tory  party  \vere  now  gathering  up  their  horses  for  an 
carl}'  start,  and  Cleveland  was  receiving  severe  threaten- 
ings  it'  he  did  not  hurry  up  his  last  passport. 

Just  at  this  moment,  w  hile  Captain  Riddle  and  Zacha- 
riah  Wells  were  especially  guarding  Cleveland  and  Captain 
Ross- -the  former  with  Cleveland's  pistol  presented  at  his 
breast,  and  the  latter  with  his  gun  aimed  for  instantaneous 
use,  if  need  be — the  relief  party  were  silently  creeping  up  ; 
and  the  next  moment  several  guns  were  fired,  and  the  Whigs 
rushed  up,  uttering  their  loudest  yells.  Colonel  Cleveland, 
comprehending  the  situation,  tumbled  oil" the  prostrate  tree, 
on  the  side  opposite  to  his  friends,  lest  their  balls  might 
accidently  hit  him,  and  exclaiming,  in  his  joy,  at  the  top  of 
his  dumdering  voice,  '•^  Huzza  for  brother  Bob! — that's 
right,  give  'on  h — /.' "  Wells  alone  was  shot,  as  he  w  as 
scampering  away,  b}-  William  Callaway  in  hot  pursuit,  and 
supposed  to  be  mortally  wounded,  he  was  left  to  his  fate  ; 
me  rest  fled  with  the  aid  of  their  fresh  horses,  or  such  as 
they  could  secure  at  the  moment — Riddle  and  his  wife 
among  the  number.  Cleveland's  servant,  a  pack-horse  lor 
Torv  plunder,  was  overjoyed  at  his  sudden  liberation. 
Cleveland  and  Ross  were  thus  fcM'tunately  rescued  ;  and 
having  gained  their  purpose,  the  happy  Whigs  returned  to 
their  several  homes.  William  Callaway  was  especially 
elated  that  he  had  had  the  good  fortune  to  shoot  Wells,  who 
had  so  badly  wounded  his  brother,  Richard  Callaway,  at 
die  ambuscade  at  the  Old  Fields. 

ShorUv  after  this  occurrence,  Captain  Riddle  ventured  to 
make  a  night  raid  into  the  Yadkin  Valley,  where  on  King's 
Creek,  several  miles   above  Wilkesboro,  the}'  surrounded 


i  m 


: 


414 


KhYG'S  MOUNTAIN 


the  house  where  two  of  CleveUuurs  noted  soldiers,  David 
and  John  Witherspoon,  resided  with  their  parents,  and 
spirited  tlieni  many  miles  away  in  the  mountain  re;^n()n  on 
Watauj^^a  river,  in  what  is  now  Watau/^a  County,  weri'  hoth 
were  senleneed  to  be  shot — blindfolded,  ami  men  detailed  to 
do  the  fatal  work.  It  was  then  proposed,  if  they  would 
take  the  oath  of  alle^ianee  to  the  Kiny,  repair  to  their  home, 
and  speedily  return  with  a  certain  noble  animal  belong- 
ing to  David  Witherspoon,  known  as  "the  O'Neal  mare," 
and  join  the  Tor}'  band,  their  lives  would  be  spared. 
They  gladly  accepted  the  proposition — with  such  mental 
reservations  as  they  thought  fit  to  make.  As  soon  as  they 
reached  home,  David  Witherspoon  mounted  his  fleet-footed 
mare,  and  hastened  to  Colonel  Ben.  Ilerndon's,  several 
miles  down  the  river,  wdio  (piickly  raised  a  party,  and 
piloted  by  the  Witherspoons,  they  soon  reached  the  Tory 
camp,  taking  it  by  surprise,  capturing  three,  and  killing  and 
dispersing  others.  So  the  young  Witherspoons  fullilled 
their  promise  of  returning  speedily  to  the  Tory  camp, 
bringing  the  O'Neal  mare  with  them  ;  but  under  somewhat 
ditlerent  circumstances  from  what  the  unsophisticated  Tories 
expected. 

The  tliree  prisoners  taken  were  Captain  Riddle,  and 
two  of  his  noted  associates,  named  l^eeves  and  Goss.  On 
their  arrival  at  Wilkesboro,  a  court  mardal  condemned 
them  to  be  hung  ;  but  as  if  to  curry  favor  with  the  soldiers, 
or  get  them  in  a  condition  so  he  might  escape,  Riddle 
treated  them  freely  to  whisky.  Learning  which,  Colonel 
Cleveland  frankly  informed  him,  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
waste  his  whisky  in  such  eilbrts — Unit  he  would  be  hung 
directly  after  breakfast.  The  three  notorious  freebooters 
were  accordingly  executed,  on  the  hill  adjoining  the 
village,  on  a  stately  oak,  which  is  yet  standing,  and  pointed 
out  to  strangers  at  Wilkesboro.  ?.Irs.  Riddle,  who  seems 
to  have  accompanied  her  husband  on  his  wild  and  reckless 
marauds,  was  present,  and  witnessed  his  execution. 


AND  JTS  JfEROES. 


445 


Colonel  Cleveland  was  active  at  this  period  in  sending 
out  strong  scouting  parties  to  scoin"  the  mountain  regions, 
and  if  possible,  utterly  break  up  the  'H^ry  bands  still 
infesting  the  frontiers.  His  Wilkes  riHemcn  had,  by  this 
time,  acquired  a  reputalion  of  which  Ihey  were  justly 
proud.  Tiiey  were  general!}'  known  as  Ch'-'cland's  Heroes^ 
sometimes  as  Cleveland's  IhiU  Doa^s ;  while  the  Tories 
dimominated  them  Cleveland" s  Devils.  Cleveland  himsi'lf 
rated  each  of  his  well-tried  followers  as  the  equal  of  five 
ordinary  soldiers.  It  was  not  long  before  one  of  these 
detachments  had  the  good  fortune  to  take  Zachariah  Wells 
who  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  dangerous  wound  he 
had  received  at  Riddles'  Knob.  lie  was  conveyed  to 
Hughes'  Bottom,  about  a  mile  below  Colonel  Cleveland's 
Round-About  residence,  near  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream 
known  as  Hughes'  Creek.  Here  young  James  Gwyn,  a 
youth  of  thirteen,  witli  a  colored  boy  with  him,  was  at  work 
in  the  cornfield,  when  Colonel  Cleveland,  who  had  join;_'d 
those  having  the  prisoner  in  charge,  of  whom  Lieutenant 
Elisha  Reynolds,  Cleveland's  two  sons  and  his  brother, 
formed  a  part,  took  the  plow  lines  from  the  horse,  with 
which  to  hang  Wells  to  a  tree  on  the  river  bank. 

Young  Gwyn,  who  knew  little  of  the  stern  realities  of 
war,  was  shocked  at  the  thought  of  so  summary  an  execu- 
tion. Intimately  acquainted  with  Colonel  Cleveland,  he 
begged  the  Colonel  not  to  hang  the  poor  fellows  who  'ooked 
so  pitiful,  and  was  sufl'ering  from  his  former  wound,  greatly 
exciting  his  sympathies.  "Jimmic,  my  son,"  said  Cleve- 
land tenderly,  "he  is  a  bad  man;  we  must  hang  all  such 
dangerous  Tories,  and  get  them  out  of  their  miser}'- ;"  while 
Captain  Bob.  Cleveland,  who  was  present,  was  cursing  the 
wincing  Tory  at  a  vigorous  rate.  With  tears  coursing 
down  his  cheeks,  i!  e  Cnloncl  adjusted  the  rope,  regretting 
the  necessity  for  hanging  the  trembling  culprit — remember- 
ing vividly  the  rough  treatment  he  had  so  recently  received  at 
the  hands  of  Wells  at  the  Perkins'  place,  at  the  Old  Fields  ;  and 


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446 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


firmly  convinced  that  the  lives  of  the;  patriots  of  the  Yadkin 
Valley  would  be  safer,  and  their  slumbers  all  the  more  peace- 
ful, when  then-  sutVering  countr}-  was  rid  of  all  such  vile  des- 
peradoes. Such  was  Cleveland's  philosopli}',  and  such  liis 
patriotism.  Wells  soon  dangled  from  a  conxenient  tree,  and 
his  remains  were  buried  in  the  sand  and  loam  on  the 
bank  of  the  Yadkin. 

OUiei"s  of  the  Torv  brii^ands  also  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Cleveland's  vigilant  troopers.  One  of  them  was  Bill  Nichols, 
a  noted  and  desperate  leader,  whose  wife  is  said  to  have 
been  a  sister  of  Captain  Willaim  Riddle.  On  one  occasion, 
Nichols hadadilTiculty  withuWhigneighbor  nutned Letcher, 
snatched  his  gun  from  him,  and  with  it  shot  him 
down  in  his  tracks.  Nichols  was  speedily  executed.  At 
another  time,  one  Tate  and  eiglit  others  were  taken  by 
Cleveland  and  his  men,  and  had  them  near  old  Richmond, 
on  the  Yadkin,  in  Surrv.  When  Cleveland  was  about  to 
execute  the  leader.  Colonel  William  Sheppard  protested 
against  such  summary  justice.  "Why."  said  Cleveland, 
"Tate  confesses  that  he  has  frequently  laid  in  wait  to  kill 
you."  "  Is  that  so?"  inquired  Shepjiard,  turning  to  the 
Tory  captain.  Tale  frankly  acknowledged  that  it  was 
true — that  he  was  an  influential  Whig,  and  the  Loyalists 
were  anxious  to  have  him  out  of  the  wa}'.  Sheppard  now 
acquiesced  in  the  opinion  that  Tate  was  a  dangerous 
man,  and  that  they  had  best  make  an  example  of  him.  So 
his  fate  was  fixed,  while  his  associates  only  suffered  impris- 
onment as  other  captives  of  war. 

On  another  occasion  Colonel  Cleveland  visited  Colonel 
Sheppard*  at  Richmond,  where  he  had  two  notorious  Tor\' 
horse-thieves  in  prison.  Cleveland  insisted  on  swinging 
them  to  the  nearest  tree,  less  the}-  should  efl'ect  their  escape. 


♦Colonel  Sheppard  w.is  an  erirl/  settler  of  Surry  County  ;  be  cominandeJ  a  troop  of 
cavalry  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  campaign;  and  participated  l.ir.i^cly  in  opposini,'  the 
Tories  of  his  rejjiou.  He  re|)rcsnntcd  his  County  in  the  Slate  Senate  six  years,  1777-8J  ; 
and  removing  to  Orange  County,  he  served  .again  in  the  Senate  in  1795.  1801  and  iSr^},  and 
was  many  years  a  magistrate,     He  died  February  eighth,  iSj2,  in  his  seventy-sixth  year. 


^  .:._ 


Hi 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


447 


and  yet  furtlicr  enchinyer  the  community — at  least  one  of 
them,  whose  crimes  rendered  him  particidarly  ohnoxious  to 
the  people.  One  end  of  a  lope  was  fastened  to  his  neck, 
when  he  was  mounted  on  a  log,  and  th„  other  end  made 
fast  to  the  limh  of  a  tree  overhead,  and  the  log  then  rolled 
from  under  the  culprit.  Cle\eland  now  repaired  to  the  jail, 
and  signilicantly  pointed  the  surviving  Tory  to  his  late  as- 
sociate now  dan<rlin£r  from  the  tree.  "You  have  vour chf)ice," 
observed  Cleveland  sternly,  "  either  to  take  3our  place  be- 
side him,  or  cut  your  own  ears  otF,  and  leave  the  countr}"- 
forever."  The  Tory  knew  he  could  not  trille  with  "Old 
Round-About,"  so  he  called  for  a  knife.  A  case-knife  was 
accordingly  handed  him,  which  hi>  whetted  a  moment  on  a 
brick,  then  gritting  his  teeth,  he  slashed  off  his  own  ears, 
and  left  with  the  blood  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  and  was 
never  heard  of  afterwards.  Truly  civil  wars  are  both  sav- 
age and  sanccuinarv  in  their  character. 

John  Doss  was  the  faithful  overseer  of  Cleveland's  plan- 
tation while  the  Colonel  was  much  of  the  time  absent  from 
home  during  tl  „  period  of  Tory  troubles  in  1780-S1.  Bill 
Harrison,  a  noted  Tory  leader  of  that  region,  with  the  aid 
of  his  followers,  not  only  stole  Cleveland's  stock,  and  de- 
stro3'cd  his  property,  but  apprehended  his  vigilant  overseer, 
took  him  to  a  side-hill,  placed  him  on  a  log,  fastening  one 
end  of  a  grape  vine  around  his  neck,  and  the  other  over  a 
prong  of  a  stooping  dogwood  ;  when  one  of  the  party  went 
up  the  hill,  so  as  to  gain  sufficient  propelling  power,  then 
rushed  down  headlong,  butting  Doss  ofl'the  log  into  etern- 
ity. It  was  not  long  before  Harrison  was  caught,  and 
brought  to  Cleveland's  home.  Accompanied  by  his  servant 
Bill,  and  one  or  two  others,  Cleveland  led  Harrison  to  the 
same  dogwood  on  which  he  had  hung  poor  Doss. 

"  T  hope  you  will  nothang  me,  Colonel,"  faintly  observed 
the  trembling  wretch."  "Why  not?"  "Because,"  said 
the  abject  Tory,  "  3'^ou  know  1  am  a  useful  man  in  the 
neighborhood — am  a  good  mechanic — have  worked  for  you 


M." 


'tJ^Bh!liiW*i'i<i    ' 


448 


KING 'S  A/0  UNTAIN 


in  peaceful  da^i-s,  and  can  not  well  be  spared  ;  besides  I  have 
invented  perpetual  motion,  and  it*  I  am  now  suddenly  cut 
off,  the  world  will  lose  the  benefit  of  my  discover^^  I,  too, 
have  heard  you  curse  Fanning  and  other  Loyalist  leaders 
for  putting  prisoners  to  death — where  arc  yon?'  principles — 
7vherc  your  conscicnccT^  "Where  is  my  conscience,"  re- 
torted Cleveland;  "where  are  my  horses  and  cattle  3'ou 
have  stolen — my  barn  and  fences  you  have  wantonly  burned 
— and  where  is  poor  Jack  Doss?  'Fore  God  I  will  do  this 
deed,  and  justify  myself  before  high  heaven  and  my  coun- 
try! Run  up  the  hill.  Bill,  and  butt  him  ofT  the  log— I'll 
show  him  perpetual  motion  !"  * 

It  is  related,  that,  on  one  occasion,  when,  Colonel 
Cleveland  was  absent  from  home,  a  Tory  horse-thief  was 
brought  in  for  adjudication,  and  turned  over  to  the  care  of 
the  Colonel's  sons  to  await  their  father's  return.  This  not 
occurring  so  soon  as  expected,  and  fearing  if  they  should  un- 
dertake to  keep  their  prisoner  over  night  he  might 
give  them  the  slip,  or  make  them  trouble,  they  appealed 
to  their  mother,  who  was  engaged  in  her  domestic  voca- 
tions, and  smoking  her  pipe,  what  they  had  best  do  under 
the  circumstances.  Learning  the  nature  of  the  offense,  and 
that  the  evidence  against  the  culprit  was  overwhelming,  she 
asked  them  what  tlieir  father  would  do  in  such  a  case  ?  ' '  Hang 
him,"  was  the  prompt  repl}-,  "Well,  then,"  said  the  old 
lady,  "you  must  hang  him,"  and  he  was  accordingly  hung 
at  the  gate.f 

Punishments  were  graded  according  to  the  offence,  and 
seem  to  have  been  administered  on  the  principles  of  mar- 
tial law.  When  an  ordinary  pilferer  was  taken  to  Colonel 
Cleveland  h\  William  Lenoir,  he  was  ordered  to  have  his 
two  thumbs  placed  in  a  notch  of  a  tree,  and  thus  made  fast, 


while  he  received  fifteen  lashes. 


This  was  ca'led  timmbing 


•Related  in  a  tiebate  in  the    North  Carolin;i  Legislature,  in   1840,  hy  Hon.  Hamilton   C. 
Jones,  of  Rowan. 

+Johnson's  Traditions  oftht  lievoluiion,  4UI,  (.urrohoratcJ  by  others. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


449 


the  notch.  Captain  John  Beverly,  in  this  case,  carried  the 
order  into  execution  :  but  anxious  to  meet  out  full  justice  to  the 
prisoner,  with  a  little  added  interest,  he  did  not  stop  at  the 
number  adjudged,  but  continued  to  whip  the  wincing  cul- 
prit, when  Colonel  Ilorndon  drew  his  sword,  and  struck 
Beverly,  who  drew  his  in  return,  and  a  tilt  was  the  result, 
which,  but  for  the  interference  of  mutual  friends  might  have 
terminated  fatally.  A  little  over  five  miles  above  Wilkes- 
boro,  on  the  Burke  road,  and  half  a  mile  west  of  the  village 
of  Moravian  Falls,  yet  stood  within  a  few  3'ears  "  Shad 
Laws'  Oak,"  on  which  the  notches  thumbed  by  Shadrach 
Laws,  under  sentence  of  Cleveland,  were  distincdy  visible. 

The  reader  must  no!^  suppose  that  Colonel  Cleveland 
always  deemed  it  the  best  policy  to  resort  to  the  severest 
measures  with  the  Tory  thieves  brought  before  him  for  ad- 
judication. Once,  it  is  related,  that  he  had  a  pretty  hard 
Ciif^e  in  hand.  "Waste  no  time,"  said  Cleveland;  "  swing 
him  off  quick  I"  "  You  needn't  be  in  any  such  d — d  hurry 
about  it,"  cooly  retorted  the  condemned  man.  Cleveland, 
who  was  toddling  along  behind,  pleased  with  the  noncha- 
lance of  the  fellow,  exclaimed,  "  bo3-s,  let  him  go!"  The 
Tory,  touched  with  such  unexpected  generosity,  turned  to 
Cleveland  and  said,  with  no  little  feeling:  "Well,  old  fel- 
low, you've  conquered  me  ;  I'll  ever  after  fight  on  30ur 
side,"  and  proved  himself  one  of  the  most  intrepid  of  Cleve- 
land's followers. 

"  Old  Round-About "  was  a  keen  judge  of  human  na- 
ture, and  would  often  set  himself  at  work  to  reform  a  class 
of  Tories  who  had  been  led  astray  by  unhappy  influences. 
Missing  one  of  this  class  awhile,  and  at  length  meeting 
him,  he  saluted  him  in  this  kind,  familiar  style:  "Well, 
Bob,  I  reckon  you  are  returning  from  a  Tor}-  trip — are  you 
not?"     "Yes,   Colonel,   I    am,"     "Well,"  continued   the 

en  vou  become  rest 


Col( 


ipect 


another  iaunt  with  them,  eh: 


teci,  30    wui  raKe 
"No,  Colonel,  if  I  ever  iro 


w 


itli  them  a<rain,  I'll  <;ive  vou  leave  to  make  a  button  of  mv 


•jy 


I(- 


KIA'G'S  MOUNTAIN 

head  for  a  halter."  '•  Well,  Bf>b,  that  shall  be  the  bargain." 
So  he  gives  Bob  a  stitl  drink  of  grog,  in  accordance  with  the 
fashion  of  the  times,  -ind  a  hearty  dinner,  and  starts  him  olT 
home  rejoieing  on  his  'vay,  and  swearing  that,  after  all, 
"Old  Round-About"  had  a  warmer  heart,  and  a  kindlier 
way  widi  him,  than  any  Tory  leader  of  his  acquaintance,  and 
ever  after  Bob  proved  hini^elf  as  true  a  Whig  almost  as  the 
Colonel  himself. 

Nor  were  Colonel  Cleveland's  eiTorts  restricted  to  mak- 
ing go(Kl  Whigs  out  of  refractory  Tories.  He  aimed  as  well 
to  make  good  and  industrous  citi/^ens.  Eleven  miles  ahove 
Wilkesboro,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Yadkin,  resided  one 
Bishop,  one  of  a  class  who  tried  to  sliirk  the  responsibilities 
of  the  war,  and  was  wanting  alike  in  patriotism  and  energy 
of  character.  At  heart  he  was  believed  to  be  a  Tory.  Pass- 
ing Bishop's  on  one  of  his  excursions,  Cleveland  observed 
that  his  corn,  from  neglect,  presented  a  sorry  appearance. 
He  called  liishop  out,  and  asked  him  if  he  had  been  sick? 
He  said  that  he  had  not.  "  Have  you,  then,  been  fighting 
for  your  countr}' ?"  "No,"  said  the  neutral,  "I  have  not 
been  fighting  on  either  side."  "  In  times  like  these,"  re- 
marked Cleveland,  "  men  who  are  not  liulitinir,  and  are  able 
to  work,  must  not  be  allowed  to  have  their  crops  as  foul  as 
yours."  The  indolent  man  had  "  /o  tJiuiub  I  he  notch,"'' 
with  the  admonition  that  if  his  corn  thereafter  was  no.,  well 
worked,  double  the  punishment  would  be  his  jxjrtion  next 
time.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  that  Bishop's  corn 
was  henceforth  in  as  fine  condition  as  any  man's  in  the 
country.* 

Cleveland  was  literally  "  all  tilings  to  all  people."  By  his 
severities,  he  awed  and  intimidated  not  a  few — restraining 
them  from  lapsing  into  Tory  abominations  ;  by  his  kindness, 
forbearance,  and  even  tenderness,  winning  over  many  to  the 
glorious  cause  he  loved  so  well. 

But  the  war  was  now  rapidly  drawing  to  a  close.     In 


*MS.  correspondence  of  Col.  W.  W.  I.enoir. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


461 


the  autumn  of  17S1,  Colonel  Cleveland  performed  his  last 
military  service,  a  three  months  tour  of  duty,  on  the  waters 
of  the  Little  Pedee,  in  the  soulli-eastern  part  of  the  State, 
under  General  Rutherford.  At  this  time,  the  British  Colo- 
nel Craig  was  confined  to  Wilmington,  while  Fanning 
and  other  Tory  leaders  were  vet  scouriuir  the  countrv.  and 
needed  such  a  force  as  tlio  mountaineers  to  successfully 
cope  with  them.  Cleveland's  men  routed  several  of  these 
scattered  Loyalist  detachments  hefore  returninji  home. 

At  the  close  of  the  war.  Colonel  Cleveland,  having  lost 
his  line  Round-About  plantation  by  a  better  title,  now 
turned  his  attention  to  the  line  region  of  the  Tugalo,  on  the 
western  borders  of  .Soudi  Carolina — a  countr\-  that  had 
greatly  attracted  him,  when,  many  years  before,  he  re- 
turned from  the  Cherokee  Nation  with  the  horses  he  had 
reclaimed  from  their  plundering  warriors.  Though  the 
Indian  title  was  not  yet  extinguished,  he  resolved  to  be 
among  the  early  squatters  of  the  country.  In  1784,  lie  vis- 
ited the  Tugalo  Valley,  made  his  selection  of  a  new  home 
in  the  forks  of  Tugalo  river  and  Chauga  creek,  in  the 
present  Count}'  of  Oconee,  whither  he  removed  in  the  fol- 
lowing 3'ear,  accompained  by  not  a  few  of  his  kinsmen 
and  old  companions  in  arms. 

In  November,  1785,  the  treaty  of  Hopewell  was  con- 
cluded, by  which  the  Cherokees  agreed  to  bur}-  the  hatchet, 
and  relinquish  all  claim  to  territory  east  of  the  Tugalo. 
Such  obligations  usually  rest  lightly  upon  Indians,  and 
oftentimes,  it  must  be  confessed,  they  were  trespassed  upon 
by  their  more  powerful  and  covetous  white  neighbors. 
While  a  sort  of  quasi  war  was  yet  brewing,  the  Cherokees 
stole  some  of  Cleveland's  stock,  when  he  buckled  on  his 
hunting  knife,  and  went  in  person  to  tlieir  towns,  demand- 
ing their  restoration  within  a  given  time,  or  the  last  one  ol 
them  should  ])ay  the  forfeit  with  his  life.  They  were  greatly 
surprised  at  his  enormous  size,  and  judged  that  it  would 
take  a  hundred  good  warriors  to  cope  widi  him  single- 
handed.     The  stock  were  promptly  restored. 


1  I 


it 


^ 


452 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


During  these  border  troubles,  one  Henry  Dinkins,  a 
Tory  of  the  Revohition,  who  had  taken  refuge  among  the 
Cherokees,  indut'ig  a  couple  of  negroes  to  steal  horses 
and  flee  with  him,  made  plundering  raids  on  the  Tugalo, 
accompained  by  these  colored  men,  all  well  armed  and 
well  mounted.  Cleveland  got  wind  of  their  approach, 
snatched  up  his  rifle,  and  one  night  way-laying  their  trail, 
captured  all  three  of  them.  Some  assistance  coming  to 
his  aid,  Cleveland  concluded  that  the  best  disposition  to 
make  of  Dinkins  was  to  hang  him  on  the  spot,  which  was 
accordingly  done.  So  notorious  was  Dinkins'  reputation 
for  evil,  that  the  whole  country  rejoiced  at  his  riddance, 
without  stopping  to  inquire  whether  the  particular  mode  of  his 
exit  was  quite   in  accordance  with  the  nicities  of  the  law. 

Colonel  Cleveland  served  many  years  as  a  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  old  Pendleton  County,  with  General  Pickens  and 
Colonel  Robert  Anderson  at  his  associates  ;  Colonel  Cleve- 
land "frequenth-  takuig  a  snooze  on  the  bench,"  says 
Governor  Perr}-,  "while  the  law3'ers  were  making  long, 
prosy  speeches ;"  if  he  snored  too  loudly,  his  judicial  asso- 
ciates would  give  him  a  nudge,  and  wake  him  up.  He 
nevertheless  administered  justice  promptly  and  fairly.  In 
1793,  he  lost  his  election  to  the  Legislature  by  seven  votes 
only.  "We  were  always  afraid,"  said  iNIrs.  Jane  Miller, 
a  daughter  of  General  Pickens,  "  when  Colonel  Cleveland 
came  to  stay  over  night  with  us,  lest  the  bedstead  should 
prove  unequal  to  his  ponderous  weight."  For  several 
years  before  his  death,  he  became  so  unwieldly  in  size,  that 
he  could  no  longer  mount  his  favorite  saddle  horse,  and 
leave  his  home — gradually  attaining  to  the  enormous  weight 
of  four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  was  long  unable  to 
rest  in  bed. 

He  would  spend  much  of  his  time  sitting  on  his  piazza, 
dressed  in  a  sort  of  loose  gown,  enjoying  in  the  coldest  of 
\\eather,  the  fresh  air,  while  others  would  suffer  from  the 
exposure.     He  was  full  of  good  cheer,  indulging  in  jibes 


AND  ITS  IIP. ROES. 


4.')?, 


and  jokes  with  the  passers-by.  On  one  occasion,  whilo 
occupying  his  big  chair  on  his  porch,  he  sahited  a  stranger 
jocuhirly :  "  Ilallco,  my  friend,  wliat's  the  news  this 
morning  from  the  lower  regions?"  "Oh,  notliing  of  any 
moment,"  the  man  sportively  retorted,  "only  that  Old 
Horny  and  his  wife  had  quite  a  set-to  last  night — she 
clamoring  fox  a  supply  of  soap-grease,  when  he  at  length 
pacified  her  with  the  assurance,  that  Colonel  Cleveland 
would  soon  be  there,  when  her  royal  highness  should  enjoy 
the  fat  of  the  land  to  her  heart's  content."  This  rough 
repartee  so  pleased  the  jolly  Colonel,  that  he  insisted  on 
the  stranger  stopping  with  him,  and  partaking  of  his  hos- 
pitalities. 

For  several  summers  preceding  his  death,  he  suffered 
from  dropsy  in  his  lower  limbs,  and  during  the  last  ^^ear  of 
his  life  his  excessive  fat  considerably  decreased,  and  he,  at 
lengtli,  died  sitting  at  breakfast,  in  October,  1806,  in  the 
sixty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  I  lis  ^vife  had  preceded  him  to 
the  grave  some  half  a  dozen  years.  He  left  two  sons  and 
a  daughter,  vvhose  descendants  are  numerous  and  respect- 
able— one  of  them  becominir  the  wife  of  General  Thomas 
J.  Rusk,  one  of  the  leaders  in  acquiring  Texan  independ- 
ence, and  subsequcntl}'  serving  ten  }'ears  in  the  United 
States  Senate;  another,  the  lady  of  Governor  Charles  J. 
McDonald,  of  Georgia.  In  the  prime  of  life,  Colonel 
Cleveland  was  a  litde  short  of  six  feet,  finely  proportioned, 
possessing  a  pleasing  and  intelligent  countenance. 

With  scarcely  an)'  education,  and  little  improvement  in 
after  life,  yet  Colonel  Cleveland,  wiUi  a  naturally  vigorous 
intellect,  exerted  a  commanding  influence  among  a  frontier 
people;  and  though  despotic  in  his  nature,  and  severe  on 
the  Tories,  his  patriotic  activity  did  much  in  preserving  the 
western  portion  of  the  Carolinas  from  British  and  Tor}- 
ascendency.  Nortli  Carolina  deservedly  commemorated 
his  services  by  naming  a  County  after  liim.  This  noble 
hero  of  King's  Mountain  now  sleeps,  in  the  family  burial- 


JHI 


'\^.Mik 


t'lll 


454 


KIiXG'S  MOUNTAIN 


j^roiiiul,  oil  liis  old  pkuUiUion,  boaiitifully  situatod  in  the 
forks  of  the  TugiUo  and  Chauga.  No  monument — no  in- 
scription— no  memorial-stone  point  out  his  silent  resting 
place.  The  spot  is  now  marked  by  several  large  pines 
that  have  grown  up  since  his  interment — one  of  them,  it  is 
understood,  shoots  its  tall  spire  from  his  grave.  His  old 
dwelling  and  out-houses  have  long  since  disappeared,  but 
the  muse  of  history  will  not  willingly  let  die  the  name  and 
memorv  of  Benjamin  Cleveland — to  all  Tories  the  terror  of 
terrors,  and  to  all  others,  the  jolly  "Old  Round-About" 
of  the  Yadkin. 


A  branch  of  the  Winston  famil}^,  originally  of  York- 
shire, England,  settled  in  Wales,  and  thence  migrated  to 
Virginia.  "The  family  of  Winston,"  says  Alexander  II. 
Everett,  "  was  among  the  most  distinguished  in  the  Colony." 
One  of  the  Virginia  descendants  was  Samuel  Winston,  of 
Louisa  County — reputed  a  brodier  of  the  mother  of  Patrick 
Henry — who  had  seven  sons  all  actively  engaged  in  the 
Revolution.  Among  them  was  Joseph  Winston,  born  in 
Louisa  County,  June  seventeenUi,  1746.  Receiving  a  fair 
education  for  that  day,  he  joined,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
a  company  of  rangers,  under  Captain  Philips,  who  marched 
from  Louisa  to  the  frontiers  on  Jackson's  river,  where  uniting 
with  Captain  George  MolTett,  making  sixty  men  altogether, 
they  pursued  a  party  of  Indians  between  Forts  Young  and 
Dinwiddle,  and  were  drawn  into  an  ambuscade,  September 
thirtieth,  1763.  They  were  fired  on  from  both  sides  of  the 
trail,  and  maintained  the  fight  a  considerable  time  ;  but, 
at  length,  overpowered  by  numbers,  they  were  forced  to 
give  way,  scattering  as  best  they  could.  Several  were 
killed,  and,  in  the  invldc,  young  Winston  had  his  horse  shot 
from  under  him,  and  himself  received  two  wounds,  one  in 
the  body,  and  the  other  through  his  thigh,  rendering  him 
well  nigh  helpless.  He  managed  to  conceal  liimself  till  the 
Indians  redred  in  pursuit  of  the   fugitives,  wh(m  a  comrade 


/  'r,'J'- 


^ 


! 


!   ' 


> 

i 

^^1 

1; 

'^H 

' 

1 

P 

1 

f-i^i! 

1 

^  ^i 

AXD  I'J'S  HEROES. 


465 


fortiinaU'ly  came  to  his  aid,  carried  him  upon  his  back  for 
ihri'i'  (hi\s,  Iivin<^  upon  wild  rosebi-rrics,  and  at  leuj^rtli 
reached  a  friendly  frontier  cabin.  Though  he  in  time 
recovencl,  the  ball  in  his  body  was  never  extracted,  and 
was  the  source  of  occasional  sullering  through  life. 

In  1769.  Joseph  Winston  and  others  petitioned  the  \"ir- 
ginia  authorities  for  a  grant  of  ten  thousand  acres  of  land 
on  the  lower  side  of  Little  (niyandotte  ;  and  probably  failing 
to  secure  it,  Mr.  Winston  migrated  about  this  period  to 
North  Carolina,  locating  on  ''J'own  Fork  of  Dan  river,  in 
what  was  long  Surry,  subsequently  Stokes  County,  North 
Carolina.  In  1775,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Ilillsboio 
Convention  ;  and,  in  February,  1776,  he  went  on  the  expe- 
dition against  the  Scotch  Tories  at  Cross  creek.  He  was 
appointed,  in  this  year.  Ranger  of  Surry  County,  and 
Major  in  the  militia,  serving  on  Rutherford's  expedition 
against  the  Cherokees.  In  1777,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  a  Commissioner  to  treat  with  the 
Cherokee  Indians.  In  1780,  he  served  in  Colonel  David- 
son's expedition  in  pursuit  of  Bryans'  Tories  ;  was  with 
Cleveland  against  the  Loyalists  on  New  river  ;  in  a  skirmish 
at  Alamance  ;  and  commantk^d  a  portion  of  the  right  wing 
at  King's  Mountain,  for  which  he  subsequendy  was  voted 
an  ek'gant  sword  bv  the  Legislature  of  North  Carolina. 

In  February,  1781,  he  led  a  party  against  a  band  of 
Tories ;  had  a  running  fight  with  them,  killing  some,  cap- 
turing others,  and  dispersing  the  remainder.  He  shortly 
after  joined  General  Greene  with  a  hundred  riflemen,  and 
shared  in  the  batde  of  Guilford.  In  179^-3,  and  again  from 
1803-7,  ^'^^  represented  his  district  in  Congress.  He  was  a 
Presidential  elector  in  1800,  voting  for  JelTerson,  and  in 
181 2,  voting  for  Madison.  Three  times  he  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  State  Senate  from  Surry  ;  and  when  Stokes 
County  was  organized,  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
and  five  times  elected  to  the  Senate — the  last  time  in  181 2, 
when  the  Legislature  provided  for  the  presentation  of  the 


i 


.  li 


I! 


M 


;  i  f'i 


^1^ 


456 


KING '  S  MO  UNTAIN 


sword  voted  bim  in  1781,  and  which  he  thus  pertinently  ac- 
knowledged : 

"Mr.  Speaker: — I  am  at  a  loss  for  words  to  express  my 
sense  of  the  honor  which  the  General  Assembly  has  con- 
ferred upon  me  by  this  grateful  present.  I  trust  that  the 
sword,  which  is  directed  to  be  presented  to  me,  will  never 
be  tarnished  by  cowardice,  but  be  wielded  in  delence  of  my 
country's  rights  and  independence." 

Colonel  Winston  died  April  twent}' -first,  181 5,  in  his 
sixty-ninth  3'^ear — curiously  enough,  the  same  age  as  his 
superior,  Colonel  Cleveland.  lie  was  a  man  of  stalely  form, 
old  school  manners,  and  commanding  presence.  His  home 
was  within  view  of  the  lofty  mountains  of  Stokes  and  Surry, 
whose  "cloud-capt  summits  seemed  within  a  scjuirrel's  jump 
of  heaven."  He  left  many  worthy  descendants — three  sons 
born  at  a  single  birth.* 

Benjamin  Ilerndon  was  born  near  Fredericksburg,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1749,  and  early  settled  in  what  is  now  Wilkes 
Cou'.ity,  North  Carolina.  lie  was  appointcil  one  of  the  first 
Justices  of  Wilkes  County,  serving  for  many  years ;  was 
Entry  Taker  of  the  County  ;  first  a  Captain,  and  then  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  of  Cleveland's  regiment — in  which  double 
capacity  he  served  at  King's  Mountain,  commanding  a 
con  pany  of  sixty  men.  He  was  twice  a  member  of  the 
IIou;-e  of  Commons,  and  twice  of  the  North  Carolina  Sen- 
ate. Not  long  after  this  last  service,  in  1786,  he  removed  to 
Newberry  District,  in  South  Carolina,  where  he  died  De- 
cember thirtieth,  1819,  in  his  seventj'-first  year. 

Micajah  Lewis,  who  descended  from  Welsh  ancestors, 

*Soon  after  the  birth  rf  these  triplets,  a  married  sister,  who  had  a  habe  about  a  month 
old,  called  to  visit  the  mother,  and  proposed  to  adopt  one  of  the  trio,  and  thus  each  would 
practically  have  a  pair  of  twins  to  rear.  Mrs.  Winston  regarded  the  proposition  favorably; 
and  as  she  sat  up  in  bed.  carefully  examining  all  three  to  determine  which  to  retain,  and 
which  one  to  bestow  upon  her  sister— she  at  Icnsth  exclaimed  :  *'  I  cannot  decide  for  my 
'■f^^— you  cannot  have  any  of  them,  sister;  as  God  has  given  them  to  me.  he  will  give  me 
.strength  to  nurse  them  "  And  so  he  did — all  of  them  lived,  and  were  well  educated.  One 
of  them  ^'ccame  a  A! .njnr  General,  another  a  Juduc.  and  the  third  a  State  Senator  and  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  of  Mississippi ;  while  a  brother  of  theirs,  who  remaintd  in  Nurth  Tarrlina, 
fought  in  the  war  of  1812,  became  a  Major.General,  and  served  in  the  State  Legislature. 


mm 

t  M  ?l  «l  ^1      1 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


457 


was  born  in  Albemarle  County,  Virginia,  in  1755  ;  and 
early  rcmo\'ed  to  what  subsequently  became  Surry  County, 
North  Carolina.  He  was  appointed  a  Lieutenant  in  1776, 
and  was  a  Captain  in  service  in  1778.  He  joined  General 
Lincoln  in  1779,  and  shared  in  the  battle  of  Stono ;  and,  in 
June  1780,  he  went  in  pursuit  of  Bryan's  Tories,  and  was  a 
Major  and  Qiiartcr- Master  in  Cleveland's  regiment  on 
the  King's  Mountain  campaign,  receiving  a  wound  in  the 
battle.  lie  served  as  a  volunteer  at  Pyle's  defeat,  February 
twent^'^-fifth,  1781  ;  and,  two  days  afterwards,  while  out 
reconnoitering,  he  was  mortally  wounded,  dying  the  next 
day,  and  was  buried  at  Dickey's  plantation,  on  the 
Alamance.  He  had  rendered  service  in  the  North  Caro- 
lina line,  and  was,  as  General  Joseph  Graluun  states,  "  a 
real  soldier,"  of  "past  service  and  experience." 

Joel  Lewis  was  born  in  Albemarle  County,  Virginia, 
August  twent^'-eighth,  1760;  early  settled  in  Surry  County  ; 
commanded  a  company  at  King's  Mountain,  said  to  have 
embraced  among  its  members  t\vcnt3'-t\vo  of  his  own  family 
connections.  A  colored  free  man,  named  Bowman,  of  his 
conipan}^  claimed  to  have  killed  Ferguson  ;  and  Captain 
Lewis  secured  some  of  the  British  commander's  arms — one 
a  jewel-hiked  poniard,  which  he  retained  many  years.  He 
married  Miriam  Eastham,  and  had  eighteen  children.  In 
1784,  he  was  chosen  to  represent  Surry  in  the  House  of 
Commons  ;  and,  in  17S9,  he  removed  to  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, where  he  was  an  early  hotel-keeper.  In  1796,  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Convention  that  formed  the  first  Consti- 
tution of  Tennessee,  and  was  the  same  year,  and  again  in 
1799,  elected  a  State  Senator.  He  held  other  public 
positions ;  and  died,  near  Nashville,  November  twenty- 
second,  1816.  He  left  many  worthy  descendants.  His 
younger  brother,  James  Martin  Lewis,  born  in  1762,  who 
was  a  Lieutenant  at  King's  Mountain,  married  Mar}'-, 
daughter  of  Co'onel  Benjamin  Ilerndon,  and  died  at 
Columbia,  Tennessee,  in  1830.     It  is  not  a  little  singular, 


i 

'i 

i 

15 

1 

\ 

' 

I 

i 

% 

\ 

m 


X-V-s-. 


I  --, 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 

that  the  three  brothers,  Miciijali,  Joe),  and  James  M.  Lewis, 
were  all  ollicers,  and  were  all  wounded  at  King's  Mountain. 

Robert  Cleveland,  a  brother  of  Colonel  Cleveland,  was 
a  Captain  at  King's  Mountain,  but  his  company  seems  to 
have  been  mostly  among  the  footmen  in  the  rear.  He  was 
born  in  Virginia,  in  1744,  and  died  in  Wilkes  Count}^  North 
Carolina,  April  twenty-sixth,  181 2,  in  his  si;cty-eighth  year. 
He  was  one  of  the  North  Carolina  Electors  on  the  Jeflerson 
ticket  for  President.  Ilis  younger  brother,  Lieutenant 
Larkin  Cleveland,  who  was  so  badly  wounded  at  the 
Catawba  while  on  the  march  to  King's  Mountain,  settled  in 
Lincoln  County,  Tennessee,  where  he  died  in  1S17,  in  his 
sixty-seventh  year. 

John  Cleveland,  a  son  of  the  Colonel,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  about  1760;  entered  the  service  very  joung  as  a 
private,  afterwards  was  made  a  Lieutenant,  and  was  under 
Colonel  Isaacs  at  Sumter's  surprise,  August  eighteenth, 
1780.  He  led  his  company  at  King's  Mountain  ;  and  on  the 
Raft  Swamp  expedition  under  General  Rutliertord,  in  the 
fall  of  1 781.  He  was  a  wild,  reckless  man — long  known 
by  the  sobriquet  of  "Devil  John."  He  died  in  the 
Tugalo  region  about  1810.  His  son,  Benjamin  Cleveland, 
was  long  a  prominent  citizen  of  Habersham  County, 
Georgia,  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  an  officer  in  the 
Creek  war,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  a  General  in  the  militia. 

Jesse  Franklin,  a  Captain  and  Adjutant  in  the  regiment 
of  his  uncle.  Colonel  Cleveland,  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  Virginia,  March  twenty-fourth,  1760.  He  settled 
in  Surr}^  County,  North  Carolina,  about  1777,  and  shared 
largely  with  his  uncle  in  the  Tory  warfare  of  the  times. 
On  one  occasion,  a  Tory  party  under  Jo.  Laseiield  captured 
him,  and  had  him  ready  to  swing  off,  when  he  said.  "  You 
have  me  completely  in  ^our  power;  but  if  you  hang  me,  it 
will  prove  the  dearest  day's  work  you  ever  perfornietl ;  for 
uncle  Ben.  Cleveland  will  pursue  you  like  a  blood-hound, 
and  he  will  never  cease  the  chase  while  a  solitary  one  of 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


459 


you  survives."  Tliough  thev  hun^  liim,  tlie  bridle  with 
which  they  did  it  broke,  and  he  fortunately  dropped  into 
the  saddle  of  his  horse,  bounded  away  and  escaped.  Be- 
sides his  service  at  King''s  Monntain,  he  participated  in 
Guilford  battle,  and  attained  to  tlie  r;uiiv  of  Major  before 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  ten  years  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  and  two  of  tlie  State  Senate  ;  two  years 
in  the  lower  house  of  Congress,  and  twelve  in  the  Senate, 
retiring  in  1813.  In  1816,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Madison  a  Commissioner  to  hold  a  treat}-  with  the  Chick- 
asaws  ;  and,  in  1820,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  North 
Carolina,  serving  one  term,  when  his  health  failing,  he 
declined  further  public  service,  and  died  September  twenty- 
ninth,  1823,  in  his  sixty-fourth  year.  "He  was  distin- 
guished.'" says  Wheeler.  "  for  his  sincere  patriotism,  sound 
sense,  and  unassuming  deportment." 

William  Lenoir,  of  French  descent,  was  born  in  Bruns- 
wick County,  Virgina,  May  twentieth,  1751,  early  removing 
with  his  parents  to  near  Tarboro,  North  Carolina,  where 
he  grew  to  years  of  manhood.  In  March,  1775,  he  settled 
in  what  subsequently  became  Wilkes  County ;  served  as  a 
Lieutenant  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  campaign,  a  Captain 
at  King's  Mountain,  and  at  Pyle's  defeat;  rising,  after  the 
war,  to  the  rank  of  Major  General  in  the  militia,  and  serving 
many  3-ears  as  Magistrate,  Clerk  of  die  Court,  County 
Register,  County  Surve3'or,  and  Trustee  of  the  State  Uni- 
versitv  ;  three  vears  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  seven  of  the  State  Senate.  He  died  at  Fort  Defience, 
May  sixth,  1839,  nearly  eight-eight  years  of  age.  He  was 
a  man  of  probitA',  patriotism  and  sterling  Avorth  ;  and  a 
County  in  North  Carolina  worthily  perpetuates  his  name. 

John  Barton  was  an  carlv  Wilkes  settler,  commanding 
a  companv  in  Cleveland's  regiment  at  King's  Mountain. 
He  was  many  years  a  Magistrate  of  tliat  County  ;  and, 
about  1785,  he  removed  to  the  Tugalo  region,  on  the  west- 
ern borders  of  South  Carolina,  where  he  died  in  1827,  aged 


\ 


460 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 


about  seventy  years.  Ilis  remains  are  interred  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  Chauga  creek,  about  two  miles  above 
Colonel  Cleveland's  burial  place,  on  his  old  r.um,  now 
owned  by  Thomas  Jenkins. 

William  Meredith,  of  Welsh  descent,  a  native  of  Louisa 
Count}',  Virginia,  early  migrated  to  the  Yadkin  country, 
where  he  became  a  neighbor  of  Colonel  Cleveland.  He 
was  appointed  an  Ensign  in  1776,  and  took  an  active  part 
in  the  war,  ccnmanding  a  company  under  Cleveland  at 
King's  Mountain.  He  is  remembered  at  a  period  after  the 
war  as  a  school  teacher;  and,  afterwards  removed  to  the 
Tugalo  countr}',  where  he  left  worthy  descendants. 

Miner  Smith  fought  heroically  at  the  head  of  his  com- 
pany at  King's  Mountain,  where  he  was  wounded  ;  and  he 
served,  in  the  autumn  of  1781,  under  General  Rutherford, 
on  the  Raft  Swamp  expedition.  He  disappeared  from  the 
Wilkes  and  Surry  region  soon  after  the  war — probabl}' 
migrating  to  the  Tugalo  region.  Of  William  Jackson,  an- 
other of  Cleveland's  King's  Mountain  Captains,  we  have 
no  knowledge. 

John  Brown  was  born  in  Derry  County,  Ireland,  in  1738  ; 
migrated  to  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania,  about  1763, 
where  he  taught  school  awhile,  and  married  Jane  McDowell, 
lie  subsequently  removed  to  Salisbur}',  Nordi  Carolina, 
and,  about  1770,  to  the  Wilkes  region  on  Yadkin.  lie  was 
among  the  first  board  of  Magistrates,  when  Wilkes  became 
a  County  in  1778;  served  under  Cleveland  at  King's  Moun- 
tain, it  is  believed  as  a  Captain  ;  and  three  times  represented 
the  County  in  the  House  of  Commons.  He  died  in  Wilkes 
County,  in  1812,  leaving  many  worthy  descendants.  Colonel 
H.  A.  Brown,  ui  Maury  County,  Tennessee,  is  his  grand- 
son. 

Samuel  Johnson  was  born  near  Richmond,  Virginia,  in 
1757,  and  early  settled  in  the  Upper  Yadkin  Valley.  He 
served  as  a  private  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  campaign  in 
1776;    about    1779   he   commanded   a   mounted  Company 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


461 


against  Tories  in  the  Fayetteville  region,  In  17S0  he  served 
on  Cleveland's  New  river  expedition,  and  led  his  company 
on  the  King's  Mountain  campaign  ;  but  as  the  companies 
VN'ere  reduced  in  the  re-organization,  leaving  the  footmen 
behind,  he  acted  in  the  battle  as  Lieutenant  in  Joel  Lewis' 
company.  His  unique,  but  eflective  command  in  the  battle, 
was:  "Aim  at  the  waistbands  of  their  breeches,  boys!" 
He  was  badly  wounded  in  the  action.  In  1781,  he  aided  in 
capturing  and  breaking  up  Captain  Riddle's  band  of  Tories. 
He  was  placed  on  the  invalid  pension  roll  in  1809,  and  died 
in  Wilkes  County,  September,  fifteenth,  1834,  "'^  ^^^^ 
seventy-seventh  year. 

David  Witherspoon  was  a  subordinate  officer — perhaps  a 
Lieutenant — in  Cleveland's  regiment  at  King's  Mountain, 
and  liis  younger  brother,  John,  was  a  private.  They  were 
of  Scotch  origin,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  David  born  in 
1758,  and  John  in  1760 — collateral  relatives  of  John  Wither- 
spoon, President  of  Princeton  College,  and  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  Early  settling  in  the  Yadkin 
countiy,  they  served  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  cam- 
paign of  1776,  and  both  followed  the  fortunes  of  Cleveland 
in  his  warfare  against  Indians,  British  and  Tories.  Their 
captivity  by  the  Tory  Captain  Riddle,  in  the  Spring  of  178 1, 
led  to  the  breaking  up  of  that  dangerous  gang  of  freeboot- 
ers, as  already  related.  After  the  war,  these  brothers  rep- 
resented Wilkes  County  two  years  each  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. David  Witherspoon  was  long  an  honored  Magis- 
trate, and  died  while  on  a  visit  to  South  Carolina,  in  May, 
1828  ;  and  his  brother,  who  many  years  before  had  removed 
first  to  Williamson,  then  Wayne  County,  Tennessee,  died 
there  about  1839. 

Major  Joseph  Herndon,  who  commanded  the  footmen, 
in  the  rear,  on  the  King's  Mountain  expedition,  was  born 
near  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  about  1751.  He  commanded 
a  company  on  frontier  service  in  1776  ;  was  the  first  County 
Surveyor  and   County   Trustee   of   Wilkes,  as  well  as  a 


IT!  i  ilt 


I' 


11 


■f 

:|: 


462 


JC/A^G  'S  MO  UNTAIN 


member  of  the  County  Court.  In  1782,  178S,  antl  1793, 
he  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  in  1788 
a  member  of  tlie  North  Carolina  Conventi(Mi.  lie  was  a 
noted  gunsmitli  in  liis  day.  lie  died  in  Wilkes  County  in 
the  summer  or  autumn  of  1798. 

Richard  Allen  was  born  in  JJallimorc  County,  Maryland, 
November  twenty-sixth,  1741  ;  setUed  in  what  was  subse- 
quently Wilkes  County  in  1770;  became  a  Sergeant  in 
1775;  served  on  the  Cross  Creek  expedition  in  February, 
1776;  early  in  1780  he  commanded  a  company  for  the 
relief  of  Charleston ;  then  went  in  pursuit  of  Bryan's 
Tories  ;  and  led  his  company  on  the  King's  Mountain  cam- 
paign, but  was  prevailed  on  to  remain  with  the  footmen  in 
the  rear.  He  served  a  tour  of  duty  early  in  1781  imder 
General  Greene.  He  was  the  first  SherilT  of  Wilkes 
County,  and  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons  in  1793. 
He  attained  to  the  rank  of  Colonel  in  the  militia,  and  died 
in  Wilkes  County,  October  tenth,  1S32,  in  his  ninety-first 
year. 

Elisha  Reynolds  was  born  in  what  became  Wilkes 
County,  in  April,  1755.  He  served  on  Rutherford's  cam- 
paign in  1776  against  the  Tories  gathered  at  Ramsour's,  in 
June,  1780;  and  shortly  after  against  the  Tories  on  New 
river.  He  was  with  the  footmen,  in  the  rear,  on  the 
King's  Mountain  campaign ;  and  shortly  after  Colonel 
Cleveland's  capture  bv  the  Tories,  early  in  1781,  he  went 
with  Captain  Johnson  and  others,  and  broke  up  tlie  Tor}- 
gang  who  captured  him.  He  was  a  Lieutenant  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  war,  and  rendered  his  country  good  service. 
He  died  December  thirteenth,  1836,  in  his  eighty-second 
year. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


463 


CHAPTER    XX. 


Lacey  and  Other  Whigs.— British  and  Tory  Leaders. 


Lacey,  Hawthorne,  Tate,  and  Mojfett. —  IVlUiains,  Haiuntoiu},  Hayes, 
Dillard,  Tlionipson,  and  Candler. — Brandon,  Steen,  and  Roehnck, — 
Maj.  McDowell,  Capt.  AfrDo-ioell,  Kennedy,  Vance,  and  ]J'ood. — 
Hampton,  Singleton,  Porter,  IVit/irota,  Miller,  and  liaison. — 
Hantbright,  Graham,  Chronicle,  Dickson,  John.'iton,  White, 
Espey,  Martin,  and  Jifattocks. — British  and  Tory  Leaders. 


Sumter'sMen  Under  Lacey  and  Hawthorn, 


Edward  Lacey  was  born  in  Shippcnsburg  townslilp, 
Pennsylvania,  in  September,  1742  ;  and  when  only  thirteen, 
fascinated  with  the  appearance  of  soldiery,  he  ran  away, 
joined  the  Pennsylvania  troops,  serving  in  the  pack-horse 
department,  and  was  in  Braddock's  defeat.  After  two 
year's  absence,  his  father  found  and  took  him  home.  Wlien 
sixteen,  he  again  ran  away,  emigrating  to  Chester  District, 
South  Carolina,  with  William  Adair,  to  whom  he  bound 
himself  to  learn  the  trade  of  brick-laying,  and  from  whom 
he  received  a  good  English  education.  In  1766,  he  married 
Jane  Harper,  and  settled  on  the  head  waters  of  Sand}' 
river,  six  miles  west  of  Chester  Court  House. 

He  became  a  Captain  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  served  on  Williamson's  Cherokee  Campaign  ; 
and  when  news  reached  them  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  he  read  that  patriotic  paper  to  the  army. 
He  lead  tlie  detachment  that  defeated  the  British  Captain 
TTuck.  and  served  with  Sumter  at  Rocky  Mount,  Hanging 
Rock,  Carey's  Fort,  and  Fishing  Creek.  At  King's  Moun- 
tain, he  led  the  Chester  troops,  losing  his  horse  in  the  action, 


ft 


V    \ 


KING 'S  MO  UNTAIN 

which  was  replaced  with  one  of  Ferguson's  chargers.  ITc 
again  served  under  Sumter  at  Fish  Dam  Ford  and  Hhick- 
stocks  ;  on  Sumter's  rounds  early  in  1781,  at  Orangeburg, 
Biggin  Church,  Qiiinby  Bridge,  and  Eutaw,  and  never 
received  a  wound,  as  a  gipsey  woman  assured  him,  when 
a  youth,  that  he  would  not,  though  destined  to  pass  through 
many  a  battle,  but  would  fmally  get  drowned.  After  the 
war,  he  was  chosen  a  Brigadier-General  of  the  militia,  a 
Judge  of  the  County  Court,  and  served  many  years  in  the 
Legislature.  In  1797,  he  migrated  first  to  West  Tennessee, 
and  two  j^ears  later  to  Livingston  Count}',  Kentucky,  where 
he  was  made  County  Judge  ;  and  was  thrown  from  his  horse 
while  in  a  tit  of  catalepsy,  in  crossing  the  swollen  waters 
of  Deer  Creek,  and  drowned,  March  twentieth,  1813,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  widow  pined  away,  surviv- 
ing her  husband  onlv  two  months.  Of  their  eleven  children, 
ten  grew  to  3'ears  of  maturity.  "General  Lacey,"  says 
Mills'  Slatistics  of  South  Carolina.,  "  was  a  cool,  intrepid 
oflicer,  and  rendered  important  services  to  the  State." 

James  Hawthorn  was  born  m  Armagh  County,  Ireland 
about  1750,  whose  father  and  family  early  migrated  to  the 
frontiers  of  South  Carolina,  where  the  mother,  two  daugh- 
ters and  her  young  son,  then  about  twelve  years  of  age, 
were  captured  by  the  Indians — the  mother  and  girls  were 
killed.  James  Hawthorn  was  at  length  surrendered  b}"  the 
Indians,  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  York  County, 
South  Carolina,  where  he  married  Mary,  a  daughter  of 
Colonel  Thomas  Neel.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  Revo- 
lution, serving  in  Necl's  regiment  on  the  Snow  campaign 
in  1775,  on  Williamson's  Indian  expedition  in  1776,  and  as  a 
Captain  on  the  Florida  campaign  of  1778-79.  He  served 
under  Sumter  at  Rocky  Mount,  Hanging  Rock,  Carey's 
Fort,  and  Fishing  Creek. 

As  Colonel  Hill  was  unable,  from  a  former  wound,  to 
lead  his  regiment  at  King's  Mountain,  it  devolved  on  his 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Hawthorn  to  do   so.     He  was  subse- 


jf 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


465 


quontly  with  Sumter  at  Fish  Dam  Ford  and  Ilhickstock's, 
and  was  wounded  on  vSuniter's  rounds  in  February,  1781  ; 
and  received  a  second  wound  (huinir  tlie  course  of  the  war. 
In  after  years  he  migrated  to  Livingston  County,  Kentucky, 
where  he  lost  a  fine  property,  being  on  the  bond  of  a  default- 
ing vSherifl',  and  where  he  died  in  the  latter  part  of  1809, 
about  fifty-nine  years  of  age.     He  left  several  children. 

vSamuel  Tate,  who  was  the  Brigade-Major  of  Sumter's 
brigade,  of  which  Lacey's  and  Hawthorn's  men  formed  a 
part,  was  of  Irish  descent  on  his  father's  side,  and  of 
English  on  his  mother's.  He  was  born  and  raised  on  the 
Santco,  near  Vance's  Ferry,  in  Orangeburg  District,  South 
Carolina,  and  served  under  Sumter  during  the  Revolution. 
He  shared  in  the  glory  of  King's  INIountain  :  and  died  at  the 
old  homestead,  near  Vance's  Ferry,  about  1798. 

John  Moflett  was  born,  about  1742,  probabl}-  in  the  Val- 
ley oi"  Virginia.  He  early  settled  in  Chester  County,  South 
Carolina,  and  served  as  a  Captain  on  the  Snow  campaign, 
and  against  the  Chcrokees  in  1776.  He  was  under  Sumter 
in  his  operations  in  the  summer  of  1780,  particularly  distin- 
'niishinir  himself  at  Fishini;  Creek.  I  lis  companv  formed  a 
part  of  Lacey's  regiment  at  King's  Mountain  ;  he  afterwards 
served  with  Sumter,  and  also  at  the  Cowpens,  attaining  the 
rank  of  C('lonel  before  the  close  of  the  war.  He  died  in 
DeKalb  County,  Georgia,  in  1829  aged  about  eighty-seven 
years. 


^tli 


1 1. 
I 


1:^ 


^1 


Williams,  Hammond,  Hayes,  Dillard,  and  Candler. 


James  Williams,  son  of  Daniel  and  Ursula  Williams — 
the  fadier  a  nadve  of  Wales — was  born  near  the  old  Fork 
Church,  Hanover  County,  Virginia,  in  November,  1740. 
His  educadon  was  very  limited,  and  his  parents  dying,  he 
early  migrated  to  Granville  County,  North  Carolina,  where 


i    1 


;i:i 


1  ! 


30 


46d 


KING '  S  MO  UNTA  IN 


Sii  i 


ir/j 


his  broLhor,  Colonel  John  Williams  was  a  distinfjuishcd 
jurist,  as  was  also  his  cousin,  Colonel  Richard  lU^ndcrson. 
Colonel  Joseph  Williams,  of  Surry  County,  in  that  Province, 
was  also  his  cousin.  Marrying  a  Miss  Clarke,  about  1762, 
he  ten  years  later  removed  to  Litde  River,  in  now  Laurens 
County,  South  Carolina,  where  he  engaged  in  the  combined 
avocations  of  farmer,  miller  and  merchant. 

Taking  a  decided  part  against  the  mother  country,  he 
was  chosen  one  of  the  representatives,  in  January,  1775,  of 
the  Broad  river  and  Saluda  district,  to  the  South  Carolina 
Congress  ;  and  soon  after  one  of  the  local  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  served  as  a  Captain  on  the  Snow  campaign  in 
suppressing  the  Tories.  In  1776  he  was  made  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  Militia,  and  served  on  Williamson's  expedition 
against  the  Cherokees.  In  1778,  he  was  defeated  for  State 
Senator  by  the  strong  Tory  influence  in  his  section  ;  and  that 
year  led  his  regiment  on  the  abortive  Florida  campaign.  In 
1779,  he  shared  in  the  alTairs  at  Brier  Creek,  Stono  Ferry, 
and  Savannah,  receiving  in  the  latter  a  spent  ball  on  his 
forehead.  The  same  year  he  served  on  an  expedition 
against  the  Cherokees,  and  was  engaged  a  while  in  guard- 
ing prisoners  at  Ninety  Six.  lie  served  under  Sumter,  in 
17S0,  as  Commissary,  on  his  expeditions  against  Rocky 
Mount  and  Hanging  Rock;  then  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  and 
closin,ij  his  useful  life  at  Kind's  Mountain,  where  he  re- 
ceived  a  mortal  wound,  d^-ing  the  next  day,  in  his  fortieth 
year,  leaving  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters. 

Fighting  and  dying,  as  he  did,  for  his  countr}-.  Colonel 
Williams  well  deserves  to  be  judged  in  charity.  lie  was 
every  inch  a  patriot — and  a  man  of  strong  religious  feel- 
ings. He  was  rough,  rash  and  fearless.  As  a  sokli(M-,  he 
was  much  after  the  style  of  Cromwell,  and  Thomas  J. 
Jackson  in  more  recent  times  ;  and  it  may  be  added,  that 
his  ambition  for  glory,  mingled  doubdess  with  a  true  love  of 
countr}',  led  him,  perhaps  unconsciously,  to  the  use  of 
means,  not  over  scrupulous,  in  the  accomplishment  of  his 


AND  J7'S  HEROES. 


407 


ends.  Wliile  he  clitVorecl  aiul  chafcri'd  witli  Siinitur,  Hill 
aiul  tluMT  associates,  yi-t  wlu'ii  the  tujf  of  war  canie,  he 
phmj^ed  fearlessly  into  the  thickest  of  the  light,  and  fively 
poured  out  his  hlood,  and  yielded  up  his  life,  for  his  coinitry. 
Lot  his  iniquestioned  jKitriotism,  like  a  mantle  of  charity, 
cover  all  his  seeming  short-comings.  The  historian,  licui- 
croft,  speaks  of  him  as  "a  man  of  exalted  cliaracter,  of  a 
career  hrief  but  glorious.  An  ungenerous  ent-mv  revenged 
themselves  for  his  virtues  by  nearl}'  extirpating  his  family  ; 
they  could  not  take  away  his  right  to  be  remembered  by 
his  country  with  honor  and  affection  to  the  latest  time." 

Samuel  Hammond  was  born  in  Richmond  County.  Vir- 
ginia, September  twenty-first,  1757  ;  was  at  the  battle  of 
Point  I'leasant,  in  1774,  and  at  the  Great  Bridge,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1775.  After  serving  under  General  Hand  at  Pittsburg, 
in  1777-78,  he  went  south,  opposing  the  British  in  Georgia, 
at  Stono  Ferry,  and  Savannah,  in  1779;  *"  1780^  'it  Cedar 
Spring,  Musgrove's  Mill,  King's  Mountain  and  Black- 
stocks  ;  in  17S1,  at  Augusta.  Ninety  Six,  and  Eutaw,  whi're 
he  was  wounded,  retiring  from  the  service  at  the  end  of  the 
war  with  the  rank  of  Colonel  of  Cavalry.  He  filled  many 
public  positions;  in  Georgia,  a  member  of  the  Legislature, 
commanding  against  the  Indians,  and  serving  a  term  in 
Congress;  in  Missouri,  Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Territorial  Council,  and  member  of  the  Conven- 
tion that  formed  the  iirst  Constitution  ;  and  in  South  Carolina. 
a  member  of  the  Legislature,  Surveyor  General,  and  Sec- 
retary of  State.  He  died  near  Hamburg,  in  that  State, 
September  eleventh,  1842,  nearly  eighty-five  years  of  age. 
His  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war  were  highly  impor- 
tant to  the  country. 

Joseph   Hayes,    of  Laurens   County,    South  Carolina, 
served  first  as  a  Captain,  and  then  as  Lieutenant-Colonel,* 
in  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  services  performed  by  Colonel  Wil- 
liams— in  Georgia,  Brier  Creek,  Stono,  a  campaign  against 
the  Cherokees,  and  at  Savannah;  and  in  1780,  at  Hanging 


^ 


t 


¥t 


m  i 


li 


4GS 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Rock,  Musj,rrovc'.s  Mill,  and  Kin^f's  Mountain,  when  he 
succofck'il  to  the  command  of  the  regiment  on  the  death  of 
Colonel  Williams,  and  served  at  Hlackstock's,  Hammond's 
Store,  and  Cowpens.  On  the  nineteenth  of  November,  1781, 
while  Colonel  Ilayes,  Captain  Daniel  and  Joseph  W^illiams — 
sons  of  Colonel  Williams,  respectively  eighteen  and  fourteen 
years  of  age — with  several  others,  were  besieged  at  llayes^ 
Station  by  IJloody  Bill  Cunningham,  the  buildings  were 
lired,  and  the  unhappy  inmates  forced  to  surrender,  on  con- 
dition of  being  treated  as  prisoners  of  war.  When,  in  vio- 
lation of  the  pledges  made  them,  Colonel  Ilayes  and  Captain 
Williams  were  about  to  be  hung  to  the  pole  of  a  fodder 
slack,  little  Joseph  Williams  cried  out  in  his  heart's  agony, 
"Oh!  brother  Daniel,  what  shall  I  tell  mother  I"  "You 
shall  tell  her  nothing,  you  d — d  Rebel  suckling  I"  retorted 
Cunningham,  as  he  hewed  him  down.  Hanging  Ilayes 
and  the  elder  Williams,  the  pole  broke,  when  the  bloody 
monijter  cut  and  slashed  with  hi:;  sword,  hacking  them  to 
j)ieces.  Eleven  others  perished  in  the  same  manner  at  the 
hands  of  Cunnin<;ham  and  his  men. 

James  Dillard  was  born  in  Culpeper  County,  Virginia, 
about  1755,  removing  to  what  is  now  Laurens  County, 
South  Carolina,  about  1772.  lie  served  as  a  private  in 
1775,  and,  in  1776,  in  the  defence  of  Charleston.  In  1778, 
he  went  on  tlie  F'lorida  expedition  as  Sergeant-Major,  and 
served  on  the  frontiers  in  1779.  ^^^  ^^'^^  chosen  a  Captain 
in  Williams'  regiment  in  August,  1780,  serving  at  King's 
Mountain,  Hammond's  Store  and  Cowpens,  and,  in  1782, 
on  Picken's  expedition  against  the  Cherokees.  His  heroic 
wife,  Mrs.  Mary  Dillard,  gave  Sumter  notice  of  Tarleton's 
approach  toward  Blackstock's.  He  became  a  Major  in  the 
militia,  and  died  December  fourth,  1836. 
•  Jolin  Thompson,  of  York  County,  who  had  served  as  a 
Captain  at  Rocky  Mount,  Hanging  Rock  and  F'ishing 
Creek,  commanded  a  company  under  Williams  at  King's 
Mountain,  and  subsequently  fought  at  Cowpens.  Gabriel 
Brown  was  another  of  Williams'  Captains. 


AND  ITS  IIEROFS. 


4G0 


Major  William  CandliT,  who  with  Captains  Can*  and 
Johnston,  conimandod  tlio  small  party  of  Gcor^^ians  at 
King's  Mountain,  and  probably  under  Colonel  Williams, 
wasboin  of  ]*^nglish  parents,  at  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1738, 
and  was  brouj^hl  t(j  Virginia  when  a  mere  ehild.  lie  mar- 
ried in  1761,  Elizabeth  Anthony;  and  the  next  year  mi- 
grated to  Georgia.  In  1771,  he  was  a  Deput}-  Surveyor. 
During  the  war,  he  served  under  Colonel  Clarke — was  in  the 
attack  on  Augusta,  at  King's  Mountain,  and  Blackstocks, 
and  rose  to  the  rank  of  Colonel,  lie  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  in  1784  anil  1785  ;  was  appointed  a  Judge  ;  and 
died  at  his  seat,  in  Columbia  County,  in  September,  1789, 
at  the  age  of  ht'ty-one  years,  leaving  several  children,  his 
oldest  son  Henry,  having  served  with  him  in  the  war. 


•1 


\i\ 


Brandon,  Steen,  and  Roebuck. 


Thomas  Brandon,  of  Irish  ilescent,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1741 — his  parents,  with  a  colony  of  Irish  Presby- 
terians, emigrated  from  that  Province  to  what  is  now  Union 
County,  South  Carolina,  at  die  period  of  1754-55,  and  had 
for  several  years  to  fort  against  the  turbulent  Cheroktjes. 
Serving  in  the  early  part  of  the  Revolution,  he  rose,  in 
1780,  to  the  command  of  a  regiment,  acting  mucl:  under 
Sumter.  Retiring  from  that  service,  with  ColoneFvV'illi;ans, 
he  shared  in  the  atlair  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  then  at  King's 
Mountain,  Blackstock's,  and  Cowpens — in  the  latter  killing- 
three  of  Tarleton's  dragoons  with  his  sword.  After  the 
war,  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Court,  County  Ordinary, 
General  of  the  milida,  and  frequenth'  a  member  of  one  or 
the  other  branch  of  the  Legislature.  He  was  a  good 
soldier,  but,  like  Cleveland,  a  bitter  enemy  of  Tories,  who 
received  little  mercy  at  his  hands.  He  died  at  his  resi- 
dence on  P'air  Forest,  February  fifth,  1802,  in  the  sixty-lirst 
year  of  his  age. 

James   Steen,   also   of  Irish   descent,   was  probably  a 


It 


V  IS 


Ir 


470 


KING\S  MOUNTAIN 


nalive  of  IVninsylvania,  ;iiul  curly  si'lllcel  in  what  is  now 
Union  County,  South  Carohna.  In  August,  1775,  he  "  was 
fulK-  convinced,  and  read}'  to  sign  the  Continental  associ- 
ation," and  doubtless  led  a  company  on  the  Snow  cam- 
paign, as  he  did  the  following  year  against  the  Cherokees, 
and,  in  1777,  coinmaned  at  Prince's  Fort.  In  1779,  he 
served  in  Ge(jrgia,  then  at  .Stono,  anvl  Savannah  ;  and  per- 
formed a  tour  of  duly  iVoni  November  in  that  ^-ear  till  Febru- 
ary, 17S0,  near  Charleston.  ^\t  this  period,  he  ranked  as 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  distinguisliing  himself  at  Rocky  Mount, 
Hanging  Rock,  Musgrove's  Mill,  King's  Mountain,  and 
probably  with  his  superior,  Colonel  Brandon,  at  the  Cow 
pens.  In  the  summer  of  17S1,  while  endeavoring  to  ar'xvst 
a  Tory,  in  Rowan  County,  North  Carolina,  he  was  stal)bed 
by  an  associate,  surviving  oni\  .i  week. 

Benjamin  Roebuck  was  born  in  Orange  County,  V'ir- 
ginia,  about  1755.  His  f;ither,  Benjamin  Roebuck,  Sr., 
settled  in  Spartanburg  County,  South  Carolina,  in  1777; 
and  the  next  year  the  younger  Roebuck  served  as  a  Lieu- 
tenant in  Georgia,  and  was  at  Stont)  and  Savannah.  In 
1780,  he  joined  Siunter,  and  was  at  Hanging  Rock,  and 
subsequently  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  commanding  a  company 
at  King's  Mountain,  and  distinguishing  himself  at  Cowpens, 
where  he  had  a  horse  .«!lu4  undi'r  him.  About  this  time,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  ;  and  in  a 
fight  at  Mud  Lick  witli  Uie  Tories,  March  second,  17S1,  he 
was  badly  v.'ounded,  the  ball  penetrating  under  the  shoulder 
blade,  coultl  not  be  extracted.  He  was  then  made  prisoner, 
and  conveyed  to  Ninety  Six,  wIumv  he  was  incarcerated 
during  the  siege.  He  was  subseijuenlly  taken  to  Charles- 
ton, and  placed  on  board  a  prison  ship.  In  August  follow- 
ing, he  was  exchanged,  and  returned  home.  He  dieil, 
umnarried,  in  17SS,  from  the  ellects  of  !iis  wound.  Hon. 
Simpson  Bobo,  of  Spartanburg,  South  Carolina,  is  his 
nephew. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 
McDowell  and  his  Officers. 


471 


irid 


Joseph  McDowell,  Sr.,  of  vScotch-Irish  descent,  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1715 — reared  a  weaver.  Married  Mar- 
garet O'Neil,  and  i-arly  migrated  to  Pennsylvania.  He 
soon  alter  settled  in  Winchester,  Virginia,  where  his  sons, 
Ciiarles  and  Joseph,  were  born — the  latter  in  1756.  A 
brcjtlier  of  the  elder  Joseph  McDowell,  known  in  after 
years  as  "  Hunting  John  McDowell,"  early  removed  to  the 
Catawba  Valley,  setding  that  beautiful  tract,  Pleasant 
Garden,  sometime  prior  to  1758;  and  at  some  period  not 
very  long  Uiereafter,  his  brother  Joseph  MoDowell,  Sr., 
followed  to  that  wild  frontier  region,  locating  at  tlie  Qiiaker 
IMeadows,  where  his  family  was  reared. 

In  Februar}',  1776,  Joseph  McDowell,  Jr.,  young  as  he 
was,  went  in  his  brother's  regiment — some  accounts  state 
as  Major— on  the  expedition  against  the  Scotch  Tories.  In 
July,  the  Cherokees  burst  upon  the  Catawba  settlements, 
killing  thirty-seven  jiersons  on  the  tenth  and  eleventh  of 
that  month,  and  beleaguering  a  fort,  in  which  were  Colonel 
and  Major  McDowell,  willi  nine  other  men,  and  a  hundred 
and  twenty  women  and  children  ;  the  Indians  were  driven 
ofl*.  Major  McDowell  served,  in  the  ensuing  fall,  in 
his  brother's  regiment,  on  Rutherford's  campaign  against 
the  Cherokees;  in  1779,  ^"  ^'^^  JStono  expedition;  early  in 
1780,  after  the  Tories,  sharing  in  the  victory  at  Ramsour's 
Mill — "the  same  Joseph  McDowell,"  says  the  old  pen- 
sioner, Joseph  Dobson,  "  who  was  afterwards  General," 
He  was  next  in  service  at  Earle's  Ford  on  Pacolet,  at  Mus- 
grove's  Mill,  King's  Mountain  and  Cowpcns.  He  served 
a  tour,  in  the  spring  of  1781,  against  Cornwallis.  In 
August,  1781,  and  again  in  March,  178^.  Major  McDowell 
led  expeditions,  chastising  the  Cherokees  ;  and  in  the  fall 
of  J  782,  he  commanded  the  Burke  regiment  on  a  campaign 
against  the  same  troublesome  tribe,  under  tlie  leadership 
of  his  brother.  General  McDowell. 


I 


ISJ 


1 


:  ! 


472 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


Colonel  McDowell,  and  his  cousin  of  the  same  name, 
were  both  much  engaged  in  the  public  service — the  former 
distinguished  from  the  latter,  while  in  the  State  Legislature, 
by  the  appendage  of  "Jr."  to  his  name.  In  Burke  County 
they  were  familiarly  known  as  '' Qiiaker  Meadow  Joe,"  or 
"Congress  Joe,"  and  the  other  as  "Pleasant  Garden  Joe." 
Colonel  McDowell,  of  the  Qiiaker  Meadows,  and  afterwards 
of  John's  river,  served  in  the  House  of  Commons  in  17S7, 
17S8,  1 791,  and  1792  ;  and  in  1788,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
State  Convention  for  the  consideration  of  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution. He  served  two  terms  in  Congress,  1793-95,  and 
1797-99,  taking  an  active  part  in  the  debates  of  that  body 
against  the  Alien  and  Sedition  laws,  and  other  Federal 
measures  of  that  day.  In  1797,  he  was  a  Commissioner  for 
running  the  boundary  line  between  North  Carolina  and 
Tennessee. 

His  death  occurred  at  his  home,  of  apoplexy,  August 
eleventh,  1801,  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his  age;  and  he 
was  buried  at  the  Qiiaker  Meadows,  where  some  rude 
stones,  and  a  large  tree  at  the  head  of  his  grave,  mark  the 
place  of  his  repose.  He  married  Margaret,  daughter  of 
Colonel  George  Moftett,  of  Virginia,  leaving  two  sons  and 
six  daughters.  "  He  was,"  says  Moore,  the  North  Caro- 
lina historian,  "the  recognized  leader  of  the  Republican 
party  in  the  western  Counties,  and  was  as  eminent  for  his 
sagacious  leadership  in  civil  matters  as  he  had  been  dauntless 
and  successful  in  the  late  war.  He  was  no  inconsiderable 
an  antagonist  in  debate,  and  throughout  his  life  he  was  the 
idol  of  the  western  people  of  North  Carolina.''* 

•That  it  was  Joseph  McDowell,  of  the  Quaker  Meml  nvs,  who  commanded  the  Burke 
troops  01  King's  M luntain,  has  hceii  called  in  question— n  t  by  any  of  his  associate  heroes 
of  the  Revolution,  nor  by  the  historians  of  the  country,  but  chiefly  l)y  the  descendants 
of  his  namesake-cousin  and  brother  inlaw,  of  Pleasant  Clarden.  Both  having  borne  the 
same  name,  resided  in  the  same  County,  and  both  having  iimiuestionably  served  in  that 
battle— the  younger,  of  Pleasant  Garden,  as  a  Captain  under  his  elder  cousin — have  led 
to  the  confusion  and  mistake.  The  descendants  of  the  Captain,  who  fought  in  the  battle, 
and  brought  home  as  trophies  some  of  Ferguson's  table  set.  still  preserved  in  tlie  family, 
have  drawn  therefrom  the  erroneous  conclusion,  that  he  was  the  Major  who  commanded 
the  Burke  troops  on  that  service. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


■173 


Of  Major  McDowcH's  officers,  only  brief  reference  can 
be  made.  Joseph  McDowell,  his  cousin,  son  of  "  Hunting 
John  McDowell,"  was  born  at  Pleasant  Garden,  February 
tweuty-liftli,  1758.  He  served  on  Rutlierford's  campaign, 
killing  an  Indian  ;  on  scouts  against  the  Indians  in  Burke 
County,  and  commanded  a  company  at  King's  Mountain. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Convention  of 
1788,  making  several  able  speeches.  He  married  Mary 
Mortett,  dying  in  April,  1795,  leaving  several  children.  He 
was  a  physician  by  profession,  and  is  regarded  as  having 
possessed  the  brightest  intellect  of  any  of  the  connection. 

Thomas  Kennedy  was  born  in  1756,  and  setded  when 


Colonel  Stielby,  in  his  narrative  cited  by  the  Tennessee  historians,  Haywood  and 
Ramsey,  and  in  his  pamphlet  of  18^3,  slates  tliat  Major  McDowell,  who  was  at  King's 
Mountain,  was  the  brother  of  Colonel  Charles  McDowell ;  and  no  less  than  three  survivors 
of  McDowells  command,  Captain  David  Va"ce,  John  Spelts,  and  James  Thompson,  make 
the  same  assertion,  fully  corroborated  by  Robert  Henry  and  Heiijamin  Sharp,  two  other 
King's  Mout.tain  men.  The  coincidence  of  Spelts  and  Sharp  about  Major  McDowell 
freely  permitting  the  soldiers  to  burn  his  rails  at  camp  at  the  (Juaker  Meadows,  confirms 
this  view  of  the  matter;  as  does  the  anecdote  of  the  treatment  of  the  British  captive 
officers,  at  the  (Quaker  Meadows,  by  Mrs.  McDowell,  the  mother  of  the  Major.  Henry 
Rutherford,  son  of  General  Rutherford,  and  General  ThoIna^  Love,  of  Hunconibe,  both 
well  acquainted  with  General  Joseph  M<  Dowell,  declared  that  he  was  the  brother  of  Gen- 
eral Charles  McDowell,  and  the  liurke  leader  at  King's  Mountain.  A  letter  of  the  late 
Hon.  N.  W,  Woodfin,  wliose  lady  was  of  the  McDowell  connection,  makes  the  same  state- 
ment, confirmed  by  Misses  Mary  and  Myra  A.  Dickson,  grand  daughters  of  (Jeneral 
Charles  McDowell;  and  also  by  Hon.  J.  C.  Harper,  derived  from  Col.  Wm.  Davenport, 
who  well  knew  all  the  McDowells.  The  late  Hon.  Joseph  J.  McDowell,  of  Ohio,  and 
Harvey  H.  McDowell,  Sr..  late  of  Missouri,  sons  of  General  Joseph  McDowell,  never  had  a 
do\ibt  on  the  subje'.t.  The  venerable  Mrs.  Samuel  P.  Carson,  who  from  her  McDowell  and 
Carson  connection  has  bad  good  opportunities  for  learning  the  family  traditions,  declares 
that  it  was  Joseph  McDowell,  of  the  Quaker  Meadows,  who  led  the  Burke  troops  at 
King's  Mountain.  The  historians,  Haywood,  Ramsey,  Lossing,  Wheeler.  Hunter.  Moore, 
and  Mrs.  Kllet.  all  take  the  same  view. 

It  h.is  always  been  iindoubted,  that  the  Major  McDowell  of  King's  Mountain,  was  the 
same  who  led  the  North  Carolina  troops  at  the  ("owpens.  Shelby  states,  in  effect,  that  he 
arranged  for  Major  McDowell,  who  had  served  with  him  at  King's  Mountain,  to  join  Mor- 
gan's light  troops  ;  and  General  James  Jackson,  in  a  letter  extant,  written  in  January,  1705, 
endorsed  by  General  Pickens,  both  of  whom  distinguished  themselves  under  Morgan  a"  the 
Cowpens.  and  both  of  whon\  were  associated  with  McDowell  in  Congress,  refers  to  Colonel 
McDowell,  "  now  in  Congress,"  as  the  commander  of  the  North  Carolina  militia  in  that 
battle. 

If,  therefore,  the  statements  of  those  who  shared  in  the  campaign,  and  at  Cowpens, 
and  all  our  historians  who  refer  to  the  subject,  are  to  be  credited,  Joseph  McDowell,  of  the 
Quaker  Meadows,  was  unijestionahly  the  Major  who  led  the  Burke  troops  at  King's 
Mountain.  It  was  doubtless  in  recognition  of  his  Revolutionary  leadership,  that  he  was. 
in  after  years,  made  a  General  of  the  militia. 


' 

;n 


m  <4 


474 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


young  in  Burke  County,  North  Carolina.  lie  was  earl}- 
made  a  Captain,  and  was  wounded  at  Ramsour's  Mills  ;  then 
served  atEarle's  Ford  on  Pacolet,  Cane  Creek, King's  Moun- 
tain, and  with  Rutherford  in  the  fall  of  1781,  when  he  was 
made  prisoner  b}'  the  Tories.  Removing  to  Kentuck}-,  he  had 
a  personal  conflict  with  an  Indian  on  a  hill-side,  rolling  down 
towther,  when  Kennedv  killed  him.  lie  served  in  the 
Virginia  and  Kentucky  Legislatures,  and  the  Kentucky 
Convention  of  1792;  became  a  General;  and  died  in  dv- 
rard  County,  June  nineteenth,  1836. 

David  Vance,  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  was  born  in 
Frederick  County,  Virginia,  about  174S,  early  removed  to 
Burke  County,  North  Carolina,  where  he  taught  school, 
and  became  Surveyor,  serving  at  Ramsour's,  Musgrove's 
Mill,  and  King's  Mountain.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Commons  in  1786  and  1791  ;  then  removed  to  Bun- 
combe County,  and  in  1797,  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  for 
running  the  boundary  line  between  North  Carolina  and 
Tennessee,  and  became  a  Colonel  in  the  militia.  He  died 
about  1820.  lions.  Z.  B.  and  R.  B.Vance,  of  North  Car- 
olina, are  his  grandsons. 

Samuel  Wood  commanded  a  company  at  King's  Moun- 
tain, as  did  probably  Joseph  White,  both  of  whom  removed 
to  Lincoln  County,  Kentucky.  Edmund  Fear  and  John 
Sigman  were  also  Burke  Count}'  Captains  in  McDowell's 
corps. 

Hampton  and  his  Officers. 


Andrew  Hampton,  a  native  of  England,  migrated  first 
to  Virginia,  and  settled  prior  to  1751,  on  Dutchman's  Creek 
on  the  Catawba,  removing  before  the  Revolution  to  what  is 
now  Rutherford  County,  North  Carolina.  In  1770,  he 
was  made  Captain,  in  1776,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  Col- 
onel, in  1779.  While  yet  a  Captain,  early  in  1776,  he  served 
against  the  Scotch  Tories;  and  early  in  1779,  pursued 
Colonel  John  Moore's  Tory  party  when  they  fled  south. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


475 


Earlj-  in  1780,  lie  went  to  the  relief  of  Charleston;  subse- 
quently served  at  Earle's  Ford,  Tliicketty  Fort,  Cane 
Creek,  and  commanded  the  Rutherford  troops  at  King's 
Mountain  and  Blackstock's.  He  was  Sherifl"  of  Rutherford 
in  1782,  and  died  in  October,  1805,  leaving  many  worthy 
descendants. 

Richard  Singleton  was  born  in  Brunswick  County,  Vir- 
ginia, about  1750,  settling  in  what  is  now  Rutlierford 
County,  North  Carolina,  before  the  Revolution.  He  led  a 
company  against  the  Scotch  Tories  ;  acted  as  Major  in  1780, 
at  Earle's  Ford,  Cane  Creek,  and  King's  Mountain  ;  and 
on  a  campaign  against  the  Clierokees,  in  March,  1782, 
He  served  in  both  brandies  of  the  Legislature,  in  the  Con- 
vention of  1788,  and  as  Sheritr  of  Rutheribrd  County. 
Near  the  close  of  the  last  century,  he  removed  to  Lincoln 
County,  Kentucky,  where  he  died  at  a  good  old  age. 

James  Porter,  of  Irish  parentage,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1744  ;  settled  earl}'  in  Rutherford,  serving  as  a  Major 
at  King's  Mountain,  where  he  was  w  mnded  ;  and  subse- 
quenth'  removed  to  Greenville  County,  South  Carolina, 
where  he  survived  many  j-ears,  dying  childless.  His 
brother,  William  Porter,  was  also  at  King's  Mountain, 
served  nineteen  3^ears  in  the  Legislature,  and  was  killed  by 
lightning  in  181 7,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  Robert 
Porter,  a  cousin,  and  man  of  prominence,  was  probably  an 
offirer  at  King's  Mountain  also. 

James  Withrow,  a  Captain  under  ILunpton,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  in  1746;  setUed  early  in  Rutherford;  served 
against  the  Scotch  Tories,  at  Stono,  King's  Mountain, 
Blackstock's,  and  against  the  Cherokees.  He  served  eight 
years  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  died  about  1836,  at 
the  age  of  about  ninety  years,  James  Miller,  of  Irish 
descent,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  George  Ledbetter, 
also  commanded  companies,  under  Hampton  at  King's 
Mountain.  Miller  did  much  ser\ice  during  the  war,  was 
made  a  Colonel  in  1781,  repressing  the  Tories,   and  com- 


#f 


M    • 


h  ;;     i 


476 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN 


manded  the  Rutherford  troops  on  the  expedition  against  the 
Cherokees  in  the  fall  of  1782.  From  1782  to  1787,  he  was 
four  times  State  Senator ;  and  died  while  on  a  trip  to 
Charleston,  about  181 2,  at  Cross  Anchor,  South  Carolina. 
Ledbetter  was  a  member  of  the  State  Convention  of  1788, 
and  shortened  his  days  by  too  free  use  of  spirituous  liquors.* 

Hambright,  Chronicle  and  their  Officers. 


Frederick  I lambright  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1727, 
and,  when  a  youth,  was  taken  to  Pennsylvania  about  1738.! 
About  1755,  he  removed  to  Virginia,  where  he  married 
Sarah  Hardin;  and,  about  1760,  he  migrated  to  North 
Carolina,  settling  near  the  South  Fork,  Ibrting  awhile 
against  the  Indians.  In  August,  1775,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Congress,  He  served  as  a  Captain  on 
the  frontiers  in  June,  1776;  and,  in  the  fall,  on  Ruther- 
ford's Cherokee  campaign.  He  was  made  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  in  1779  ;  and,  late  in  that  year,  he  went  to  the  relief 
of  Charleston,  serving  in  Lillington's  brigade,  and  retir- 
ing before  the  surrender  of  the  place.  In  1780,  he  served 
under  Colonel  McDowell  in  the  Broad  river  region  ;  and 
succeeding  Colonel  Graham,  X  fought  at  King's  Moun- 
tain, where  he  was  badl}''  wounded  ;  and  where  his  son 
John  also  did  service,  rising  to  the  rank  of  Captain  before 
tlie  close  of  the  war.     Twice  married.  Colonel  Hambright 


♦Major  Patrick  Watson  commanded  the  Rutherford  footmen  in  the  rear,  and  thus  failed 
to  participate  in  King's  Mountain  battle.  A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  he  settled  in  Ruther- 
ford in  1764,  and  died  December  sixteenth,  1809,  in  his  fifty-eighth  year. 

fin  October,  1738,  Adam  and  Conrad  Hainbri;;lit  arrived  at  Philadelphia  from  Ger- 
many with  their  families,  and  probably  settled  in  Lancaster,  where  the  Hambrights  have 
long  been  prominent  citizens, 

J  William  Graham,  born  in  Augusta  County,  Virginia,  in  1742,  seltk-d  in  North  Caro- 
lina before  the  Revolution;  served  in  the  Provincial  Congress  of  1775,  and  was  appointed 
Colonel  of  Tryon  County,  serving  on  the  Snow  campaign;  then  against  the  Scotch  Tories, 
and  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  expedition  He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Halifax  Con- 
vention of  1776.  In  1779-80,  he  went  to  the  relief  of  Charleston;  then  served  at  Thicketty 
Fort,  Cedar  Spring,  and  in  defence  of  his  dwelling  against  Tories.  His  retirement  from 
the  army  to  visit  his  sick  wife,  a  little  before  King's  Mountain  battle,  and  his  hasty  return 
at  its  close,  have  been  already  related.  He  died  near  Shelby,  North  Carolina,  March 
twenty-sixth,   1835,  in   his  ninety-third  year,  a  pensioner  for  his  Revolutionary  services. 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


477 


was  the  father  of  eighteen  children  ;  and  died,  in  March, 
1817,  in  the  ninetieth  year  of  his  age. 

Wilham  Chronicle  was  born  on  the  South  Fork  of 
Catawba,  now  Gaston  County,  North  Carolina,  about  1755. 
In  December,  1775,  he  marched  at  the  head  of  a  conipan)- 
on  the  Snow  campaign,  and  in  1779,  to  Georgia  ;  and  after- 
wards to  the  relief  of  Charleston.  He  was  with  General 
Rutherford's  rear  at  Ramsour's,  then  ioining  Sumter  at 
Clem's  Uranch  awhile,  he  was  engaged  in  chasing  Tories 
out  of  the  counlr3\  lie  was  probably  with  Graham  at 
Thicketty  Fort  and  Cedar  Spring ;  and  yielded  up  his 
young  life,  while  serving  as  Major,  at  King's  Mountain. 
He  had  attracted  the  attention  of  Colonel  Campbell  before 
the  battle.  "He  was,"  sa3's  General  Graham,  "a  young 
man  of  great  promise  " — the  idol  of  his  friends  and  soldiers. 

Joseph  Dickson,  of  Scotch-Irish  stock,  was  born  about 
1745;  married  Margaret  McEwen,  a  Scotch  lady,  and 
migrated  to  North  Carolina  before  the  Revolution,  settling 
first  in  Rowan  County,  and  finally  in  what  is  now  Lincoln. 
He  was  a  Captain  in  service  as  earl}'  as  April,  1779 — and 
probably  much  earlier.  In  June,  1780,  he  joined  General 
Rutherford,  and  was  engaged  in  ridding  the  country  of 
Tories.  He  was  in  service  under  Colonel  McDowell,  in 
South  Carolina,  during  that  summer;  and  served  as 
Major  of  the  Lincoln  men  at  King's  Mountain.  Earl}-  in 
1 781,  he  opposed  Cornwallis'  invasion  of  North  Carolina, 
and  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  Colonel.  He  was  in  this 
year  chosen  Clerk  of  Lincoln  Court ;  State  Senator  from 
1788  to  1795  ;  a  General  in  the  militia,  and  a  member  of 
Congress  from  1799  to  1801.  lie  removed  in  1803,  to  what 
is  now  Caldwell  County,  and  in  1806,  to  Rutherford 
Count}-,  Tennessee,  where  he  died  April  fourteenth,  1825, 
aged  about  eighty  years,  and  was  buried  with  military  and 
masonic  honors. 

James  Johnston,  a  native  of  Scotland,  was  born  about 
1742.     His  father,  Henry  Johnston,  early  settled  in  what  is 


478 


KIWG  'S  MO  UNTATN 


V* 


now  Lincoln  County,  North  Carolina,  where  the  son  became 
a  Captain  at  the  out-break  of  the  Revolution,  serving  on  the 
Snow  campaign  ;  was  then  chosen  a  member  of  the  Provin- 
cial Congress,  of  April,  1776;  then  served  on  the  frontiers, 
and  on  Rutherford's  Cherokee  expedition.  Earl}'  in 
17S0,  he  had  the  personal  conflict  with  the  Tory,  Patrick 
Moore,  related  elsewhere  ;  and  commanded  a  company  at 
King's  Mountain.  He  served  in  the  State  Senate  in  1780-82  ; 
and  died  July  twenty-third,  1805,  leaving  seven  children. 
Colonel  William  Johnston,  of  Charlotte,  is  his  grandson. 

Isaac  White,  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage,  was  born  in 
Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1760;  and  migrated,  with 
his  elder  brother  Thomas,  to  Lincoln  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, about  1779.  Though  3oung,  James  White  was  chosen 
a  Captain,  and  his  brother  the  Lieutenant  of  the  company; 
and  served  at  King's  Mountain  and  Cowpcns.  In  1816,  they 
removed  to  Bond  Count}',  Illinois,  James  dying  in  1821, 
aged  sixty-one  years,  and  Thomas  in  1824,  at  the  age  of 
seventy. 

Samuel  Espey  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, May  eighth,  1758  ;  and,  in  1770,  his  father  removed 
to  what  is  now  Lincoln  County,  North  Corolina.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  in  1776,  on  the  frontiers,  and  on  Rutherford's 
campaign.  In  1779,  ^^^  '^^'^^  again  in  service.  Early  in 
1780,  he  was  made  a  Captain  in  Graham's  regiment,  serving 
at  Cedar  Spring  and  King's  Mountain,  where  he  had  an  arm 
broken  in  the  action.  He  again  served  awhile  in  the  spring 
of  1 781  ;  and  died  in  what  is  now  Cleveland  County, 
December  twenty-ninth,  1838. 

Samuel  Martin  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1732,  where  he 
married  Margaret  McCurdy,  and  migrated  to  Pennsylvania. 
While  there,  he  served  in  the  old  French  and  Indian  war. 
Removing  to  North  Carolina,  he  served  on  the  Snow  cam- 
paign in  1775;  on  the  frontiers  in  1776;  and  went  to  the 
relief  of  Charleston  in  i'779-8o.  In  June,  1780,  he  was 
made  Captain,  serving  under  Rutherford  ;   and  was  at  the 


iLtMl 


m 


>    \     '  -    ':       I 


f^^f 


'til 


AND  ITS  HRROIS. 


479 


capture  of  Riii^eloy's  Tories,  and  at  Kind's  M.»imtain. 
In  17S1,  lu!  opposi'd  Cornwallis  at  Cowan's  Ford,  and  after- 
wards served  awhile  under  General  Pickens  ;  and  then  com- 
manded a  company  under  Colonel  William  Polk  at  ICutaw 
Springs.  Surviving  his  companion,  he  died  in  Gaston 
Count}',  November  twenty-sixth,  1836,  at  the  great  age  of 
one  hundred  and  four  years. 

Wi"  have  no  details  of  the  prior  life  and  ser^•ices  of  Cap- 
tain John  Mattocks,  of  the  South  Fork,  who  was  killed  at 
King's  Mountain.  Ilis  brother  Charles  participated  with 
him'  in  the  battle,  and  interceded  for  his  Tory  brother 
Edward,  who  was  severely  wounded  there,  and  cured  of 
his  Toryism.     After  the  war,  the  family  removed  to  Georgia. 

British  and  Tory  Leaders  at  King's  Mountain. 


Col(Miel  Ferguson  has  already  been  fully  sketched  in 
this  work.  He  was  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  regular 
army,  and  Inspector  General  of  the  Loyal  Militia  of  South 
Carolina,  in  consequence  of  whicb  he  was  sometimes  de- 
nominated General.  The  epithet  of  '■'•DitJl-Doi:;  Fcr<!;itso)i'' 
was  well  applied  to  him,  as  suggestive  of  his  determination 
and  persistence. 

Abraham  DePeyster,  the  second  in  command  at  King's 
Mountain,  descended  from  an  ancient  and  influential  family, 
was  born  in  New  York  in  1753.  He  entered  the  Royal 
service  as  Captain  in  the  New  York  Volunteers — served  in 
the  siege  of  Charleston,  Musgrovc's  Mills,  and  in  Ferguson's 
operations  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of  17S0,  distin- 
guishing himself  at  King's  Mountain,  where  his  life  was 
saved  by  a  doubloon  in  his  vest  pocket,  which  stopped  a 
rifle  ball,  though  the  coin  was  bent  by  its  force.  He  retired 
on  half-pay  to  New  Brunswick,  where  he  was  Treasurer 
and  Colonel  in  the  militia,  dying  about  1798.  He  was  a 
brave,  vigilant,  and  enterprising  ofllcer. 

Samuel  Rverson,  another  of  Ferguson's  Captains,  was 


Mm 


H 


480 


KING'S  MOU^VTAIN 


(•-I-  n 


;il*'!^': 


mwn 


a  native  of  New  Jersey,  of  Dutch  descent,  carl}-  entered  the 
service  ;is  a  Captain  in  the  New  Jersey  Vohi.ileers,  was 
wounded  at  King's  Mountain,  retired  after  the  war  to  New 
Brinh  i'ick,  where  he  hved  to  a  good  old  age. 

John  Taylor  was  horn  near  Anihoy,  New  Jersey,  May 
fifteenth,  17^2;  became  a  Lieutenant  in  the  New  Jersey 
Volunteers — wi's  assigned  to  Fergust)n's  corps,  serving  un- 
der him  during  the  campaign  of  1780,  and  at  King's  Moun- 
tain. Tie  liad  his  leg  broicen  in  some  action  in  South 
Carolina ;  retired  to  Weymouth,  Nova  Scotia,  where  he 
died  November  thirteenth,  1822,  leaving  descendants. 

Anthony  Allaire,  of  Huguenot  descent,  was  born  at  New 
Rochelle,  Westchester  County,  New  York,  February 
twenty-second,  1755  ;  was  commissioned  a  Lieutenant  in 
the  Loyal  American  Volunteers,  serving  as  Adjutant  in  Fer- 
guson's corps,  in  the  siege  of  Charleston,  at  Monks'  Cor- 
ner, and  in  the  up-country  of  North  and  South  Carolina, 
sharing  in  the  action  of  King's  Mountain.  The  Diary  he 
left  of  the  South  Carolina  campaign  is  a  valuable  contribu- 
tion to  history.  lie  retired  from  the  service  in  1783,  to 
New  Brunswick;  and,  in  1793,  re-entered  the  service  as 
Lieutenant  in  the  New  Brunswick  regiment,  securing  a 
Captaincy  in  1801,  shortly  before  the  disbandment  of  that 
corps,  when  he  retired  on  half-pa}'.  He  died  on  his  farm, 
near  Fredericton,  June  ninth,  1838,  leaving  a  daughter  who 
intermarried  with  Lieutenant  John  Robinson  of  the  army. 

Wm.  Stevenson,  a  native  of  Monrnouth  County,  New 
Jersey,  was  first  commissioned  a  Lieutenant  in  some  Loyal 
company  in  December,  1776,  and  transferred  to  the  New 
Jersey  Volunteers ;  serving  in  1780,  in  Ferguson's  corps, 
at  Charleston  and  King's  Mountain.  He  retired  to  Nova 
Scotia,  and  died  at  his  old  army  associate's,  Captain  Tay- 
lor's, at  Weymouth,  about  1818,  quite  advanced  in  years, 
and  without  a  family. 

Duncan  Fletcher  was  a  New  Yorker,  a  Lieutenant  in 
the  Loyal  American  Volunteers — assigned   to  Ferguson's 


ill, 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


481 


corps  (liirin;:^  the  campaij^n  of  1780,  sorvin^j  at  Kinj^'s 
Mountain,  llf  siihst'(iiH'nt!y  becanu?  a  Captain;  and  in 
17S4,  was  at  Wilmot,  Nova  Scotia. 

John  McGinnis,  who  was  killod  at  King's  Mountain, 
was  an  luisign  ni  the  New  Jersey  V'ohuiteers  ;  and,  in  Fer- 
guson's corps,  seems  to  iia\c  acted  as  Lieutenant  for  that 
special  service. 

Dr.  Uzal  Johnson,  son  of  Eliphalet  Johnson,  was  horn 
in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  April  seventeenth,  1757,  where  he 
practiced  his  profession  of  medicine  as  early  as  1776;  in 
which  year  he  joined  the  New  Jersey  Volunteers  as 
Surgeon.  lie  served  with  great  benelit  to  Ferguson's 
corps — and  to  the  wounded  Americans  as  well  at  King's 
Mountain.  After  the  war,  he  returned  to  Newark,  and 
practiced  his  profession  till  his  death,  May  twenty-second, 
1827,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

Of  the  Loyalist  leaders  but  little  can  be  gleaned  from 
history  or  tradition.  Colonel  Ambrose  Mills,  among  the 
unfortunates  who  were  executed  at  BickerstalT's,  was  born  in 
England,  about  1722  and  was  taken  while  yetyoungto  Mary- 
land. \\v  married  Miss  Mourning  Stone,  settling  on  James 
River,  and  linnlly  removing  to  the  frontiers  of  South  Car- 
olina, where  his  wife  was  killed  by  Indians,  during  the  Indian 
warof  1 755-61 ,  leaving  an  only  son,  William.  lie  afterwards 
married  Miss  Anne  Brown,  of  the  Chester  region,  sister  of 
the  wife  of  the  noted  Lovalist  leader.  Colonel  Thomas 
Fletchall ;  and,  about  1765,  settled  on  Green  River,  in 
North  Carolina  ;  and  by  this  second  marriage  had  three 
sons  and  three  daughters.  In  1776,  he  served  against  tlie 
Cherokee  Indians.  In  1778,  Colonel  Mills  and  the  notori- 
ous David  Fanning  raised  a  corps  of  five  hundred  men  with 
the  design  of  joining  th'*  Royal  standard  at  St.  Augustine, 
when  one  of  the  party  betrayed  tlieir  plans.  Mills  and  six- 
teen others  were  aj^prehended,  and  conveyed  to  Salisbmy 
jail ;  Fanning  undertaking  to  rescue  him  on  the  way,  but 
his  force  proved  too  weak  to  eflect  the  purpose.    Mills  was, 


31 


mw 


iM 


!l 


li 


ill 


4S2 


KING'S  MOUXTATN 


i:i  course  of  time,  liberated  ;  joined  Ferguson  wilh  the 
Loval  militia  of  his  reifion,  ioiii;ht  at  ICarle's  Ford  and 
Iving's  Mountain  :  and,  a,,  viewed  a  centur}'  after  the  oc- 
currence, he  was  t(H)  severely  deaU  with  at  Bickerstafl"s. 
His  descendants  are  among  the  ablest  and  best  citizens  in 
the  South  and  South-West. 

His  son,  William  Mills,  was  born  on  James  River,  Vir- 
ginia, November  tenth,  1746.  He  was  very  popular,  and 
served  in  1776  against  the  Indians.  He  acted  as  Major 
under  his  father  at  King's  INFountain,  where  he  was  badly 
wounded,  antl  left  for  deail  :  and  was  subsequently  saved 
from  beinjx  executed  b\'  tlie  interference  of  leadin*;  Whiirs 
who  knew  his  worth  and  goodness.  In  after  \i\u's,  he  sct- 
lled  in  the  mountain  region  of  the  south-westi  portion  of 
North  Carolina  on  Clear  Creek,  in  now  Cleveland  County. 
Mills'  River  and  Mills'  Gap,  in  that  section,  were  named 
after  him.  He  married  early  iu  life  Eleanor  Morris,  by 
whom  he  had  two  sons  and  live  daughters.  He  was  a 
hands(Mrie,  noble,  generous  man.  He  died,  in  consequence 
of  a  fall  from  his  horse  on  his  birthday,  November  tenth, 
1834,  at  the  age  of  eight3--eight  yea'-^-.  He  had  lived  a 
happy  married  life  v\^  sixty-nine  3ears — his  venerable  coni- 
jxuiion  surviving  him. 

Vezev  Husbands,  who  was  killed  at  Kinix's  Mountain, 
and  is  said  to  ha.ve  served  as  a  Colonel  there,  lived  near 
Lower  Creek  of  Catawba,  in  T'urke  County;  and  was,  per- 
haps a  relative  of  Herman  Husbands,  of  '\egulation  war 
notoriety,  who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  of  Qiuiker 
descent. 

William  Green,  who  commanded  a  company  at  King's 
Mountain,  and  whose  escape  from  captivity  has  already  been 
related,  was  born  onBuflalo  Creek, in  now  Cleveland  County, 
near  the  State  line.  May  sixteenth,  1753.  He  served  up  to 
1780  as  a  Captain  in  the  Whig  caus(» ;  was  captured  by  the 
Tories  and  held  prisoner  until  released  by  their  defeat  at 
Ramsour's.     His  only  British  service  was  at  King's  Moun- 


AND  ITS  HEROES. 


4S3 


tain,  which  ho  deeph'  retrretted  ;  and,  to  atone  for  the  error, 
lie  enlisted  in  Captain  Levi  Jolniston's  company,  ol  ten 
montli's  men  iimler  Sumter,  in  1781-82,  and  shared  in  the 
battle  of  Eutaw  Springs.  After  the  war,  he  served  in  the 
House  of  Commons  in  179S,  and  fourteen  times  in  the 
State  Senate  from  iSoo  to  1824.  He  dieil  in  Rutherford 
County,  November  sixth,  1832,  leaving  many  worthy 
descendants. 

Major  Daniel  Plummer,  who  was  probably  killed  at 
King's  Mountain,  lived  between  Fair  Forest  and  Tyger,  in 
now  Spartanburg  County,  St)Uth  Carolina  ;  and  was  repre- 
sented as  "■  honest  and  open  " — kind  and  considerate  to  all. 
His  estate  was  conllscated.  Of  Major  Lee,  who  was  in,  and 
survived  the  battle,  we  have  no  further  information. 
William  Gist,  a  Tory  Captain  in  the  action,  lived  oU'Tyger 
river.  South  Carolina  ;  was  committed  to  jail  at  Charleston, 
in  1776,  for  Torvism.  His  estate  was  confiscated  ;  but  he 
did  not  probably  long  survive  die  war,  as  the  (leneral 
Assembly  subse([uently  granted  his  wife  and  children  live 
hundred  acres  of  any  of  his  conllscated  lands  not  already  sold. 
Captain  Aaron  BiggerstafT,  of  English  descent,  olRutherford 
County,  was  one  of  the  Loyalist  leaders  at  Ramsour's ; 
escaping  that  disaster,  he  was  mortally  wounded  at  King's 
Mountain,  taken  for  treatment  to  what  is  now  Union  Court 
House,  where  he  died.  From  Allaire's  y>Vr<'/')',  we  learn  of 
Captain  Townsend,  who  resided  a  mile  fiom  the  Island 
Ford  of  Broad  river.  He  received  three  balls  in  the  batUe. 
and  was  paroled  to  his  liome. 


'  '  '  1   ill  •• 
! !  I  \     1 


I , 


C 


'^ 


tf,%. 


APPENDIX. 


Diary  of  Lieut.  Antlioiiy  Allaire, 


OF  FERGUSON'S   CORPS. 


MEMORANDUM   OF   OCCURRENCES   DURING   THE 
CAMPAIGN   OF    1780. 


Sunday,  March  ^th.  Tlie  following  corps  marched  from  Savannah, 
viz.:  Light  Infantry,  commanded  by  Maj.  Graham  ;  American  V'olini- 
teers,  Lieut.  Col.  Ferguson;  New  York  Volunteers,  Lieut.  Col.  Turnbull; 
North  Carolinians,  Lieut.  Col.  Hamilton;  South  Carolinians,  Col.  Innes; 
Dismounted  Legior.,  Maj.  Cochrane;  one  company  of  Georgia  Dra- 
goons, Capt.  Campbell ;  and  the  First  Battalion  of  the  Seventy-first 
regiment,  Maj.  McArthur — in  numljer  about  fifteen  hundred. 

V.'e  marched  from  Savannah  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  arrived 
at  Cherokee  Hill,  nine  miles  from  Savannah,  at  twelve  o'clock,  and 
encamped  to  refresh  ourselves.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  got 
in  motion,  and  marched  to  Abercorn,  eight  miles  from  Cherokee  Hill; 
here  we  encamped  and  lay  all  night.     Disagreeable,  rainy  weather. 

Monday,  6ih.  At  eight  o'clock  we  got  in  motion,  and  marched  to 
Ebenczer,  a  village  situated  on  Savannah  river,  eight  miles  above 
Abercorn.  It  contains  about  twenty  houses  and  a  church.  The  inhabit- 
ants are  high  Dutch.  It  is  garrisoned  by  our  troops;  there  are  four 
redoubts,  but  no  cannon  in  any  of  them. 

Tuesday,  yth.  Remained  at  Ebenczer,  Pleasant4  morning,  showery 
evening  and  very  warm.  Spent  part  of  the  evening  with  two  Indian 
Captains,  John  and  James;  smoked  tobacco  and  drank  grog  with  those 
two  devils  incarnate. 

Wednesday,  Stii.  Still  remained  at  Ebenezer.  Orders  to  draw  two 
days'  provisions,  and  be  ready  to  march  at  reveille  beating.  Several 
men  taken  suddenly  ill  with  pain  and  swelling  of  the  extremities, 
occasioned  liy  a  weed  that  poisons  where  it  touches  the  naked  skin, 
when  the  dew  is  on  it. 
434 


APPENDIX. 


485 


Thursday,  gth.  The  army  got  in  motion  ;  passed  a  causevVay  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  overflowed  with  water  from  two  to  three  feet 
deep.  We  marclicd  to  a  plantation  ten  miles  from  Ebenezer,  called  the 
Two  Sisters,  situated  on  Savannah  river.  It  was  formerly  a  public  ferry ; 
but  7\.\.  present  nobody  lives  at  it.     The  houses  are  destroyed. 

Friday,  loth.  The  American  Volunteers  and  British  Legion  marched 
three  miles  u[)  tlic  Augusta  road  to  Tuckassc-King.  Here  we  encamped, 
and  took  breakfast  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  A  Rebel  Lieut. 
Johnsdii  with  twenty  men  surrounded  a  poor  man's  house  here  this 
morning.  They  heard  we  were  in  motion,  but  not  being  certain  of  it. 
they  came  to  find  out  the  truth.  They  did  no  damage  to  the  family  ; 
neither  did  they  tarry  long,  being  informed  that  we  were  in  possession 
of  the  Two  Sisters,  they  tliought  it  [proper  for  the  brothers  to  take  them- 
selves off.  This  is  the  first  Rebel  party  we  have  heard  of.  At  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  received  orders  to  take  the  ground  we  left  in  the 
morning,  where  I  and  part  of  the  detachment  lay  all  night.  One  divi- 
sion crossed  the  river — tlic  others  to  follow  as  expeditiously  as  possible. 

Saturday,  nth.  Crossed  the  Savannah  river ;  such  a  fresh  that  the 
boats  were  brought  tnrough  woods  a  mile  and  a  half;  the  water  was 
from  four  to  ten  feet  deep,  where  in  a  dry  time  we  might  have  marched 
on  dry  ground.  The  horses  were  swum  over  the  river — the  current 
sets  clown  very  rapid. 

South  Carolina,  Sunday,  I2th.  Lay  encamped  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  river  in  the  field  where  Gen.  Moultrie  was  encamped  last 
summer  when  our  troops  were  retreating  from  Charleston.  A  foraging 
party  of  the  Dragoons  fell  in  with  some  Rebel  Light  Horse;  and  Mr. 
Campbell  of  the  Georgia  Dragoons  received  a  slight  wound. 

Monday,  Ijth.  Tlie  American  Volunteers  and  British  Legion  were 
ordered  forward  twenty-six  miles,  to  secure  the  passes  of  Bee  creek, 
Coosawhatchie  and  Tullyfinny  Bridge,  which  we  effected.  This  day 
passed  Turkey  Hill,  a  pleasant  country  seat  belonging  to  one  Mr. 
Middleton.  We  took  u])  our  ground  at  dusk,  at  Coosawhatchie  Bridge, 
where  the  Rebels  opposed  om- troops  last  May  and  got  defeated.  A  cool, 
pleasant  day  for  marching. 

Tuesday,  14th.  Found  several  horses,  a  quantity  of  furniture. 
Continental  stores  and  ammunition,  hid  in  a  swamj)  by  one  John 
Stafford,  a  sor  of  Rel)el  commissary  who  lives  at  Coosawhatchie,  and  is, 
by  the  by,  a  cursed  fool,  whicli  alone  prevents  his  being  a  d — d  rogue. 
About  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  crossed  Tullyfinny  Bridge,  and 
proceeded  about  six  miles  to  Mr.  McPherson's.  Fifty  of  the  militia 
on  horseback  had  just  left  this  plantation  and  gone  to  John  McPherson's. 
A  small  party  of  ours  pursued  them,  but  could  not  come  up  with  them, 
Maj.  Cochrane  with  the  Legion  were  in  pursuit  of  another  party 
of  Rebels  on  another  road  ;  but  being  mis-piloted,  he  arrived  just  before 


j 

\\m\ 


m^ 


I! 


' 


486 


ALLAIRE'S  DLIRY. 


,; 


break  of  clay  in  front  of  our  picket.  He  immediately  conjectured  we 
were  the  party  he  had  been  in  pursuit  of  all  night.  lie  halted  and  made 
a  position  with  an  intent  to  attack  as  soon  as  it  Ijegan  to  be  clearly  light ; 
but  the  alertness  of  our  sentinels  obliged  them  to  come  on  sooner  than 
they  intended.  He  immediately,  on  their  hring,  rushed  on  the  picket; 
they  gave  the  alarm,  but  were  driven  to  the  house,  where  our  men  ready 
for  the  attack,  expecting  it  was  Rebels,  a  smart  skirmish  ensued.  The 
sad  mistake  was  soon  discovered,  but  not  Ijeforc  two  brave  soldiers  of 
the  American  Volunteers,  and  one  of  the  Legion  were  killed,  and 
several  on  both  sides  badly  wounded.  Col.  Ferguson  got  wounded  in 
the  arm  Ijy  a  bayonet,  Lieut.  McPherson,  of  the  Legion,  in  the  arm  and 
hand. 

Wc'hicsday,  15th.  Still  remained  at  McPherson's  plantation  ;  for- 
aging parties  get  everything  necessary  for  the  army. 

Thursday,  i6th.  Remiiined  at  McPherson's  plantation,  living  on  the 
fat  of  the  land,  the  soldiers  every  side  of  us  roasting  turkeys,  fowls, 
pigs,  etc.,  every  night  in  great  plenty  ;  this  Mr.  McPherson  being  a  great 
Rebel,  and  a  man  of  vast  property,  at  present  in  Chailcslown.  About 
thirty  Rebels  showed  themselves  this  morning,  a  mile  and  a  half 
in  front  of  us.  A  party  went  out  in  pursuit  of  them  ;  but  returned 
without  effecting  anything — the  jockeys  being  on  horseback  easily  made 
off. 

Friday.  Still  at  McPherson's.  Three  militia  men  were  brought  in 
prisoners  by  a  scouting  party  of  the  American  Volunteers,  and  a 
numljer  of  horses.     Received  orders  to  march  to-morrow  morning. 

Saturday,  iSth.  Marched  from  Mcl'iierson's  plantation  to  Salt- 
ketcher,  a  Rel^el  party  consisting  of  eighty  mititia,  commanded  by  a 
Maj.  Ladson,  placed  themselves  on  tlic  north  side  of  the  river  to  oppose 
our  crossing.  Tiiey  were  amused  by  a  company  of  the  Legion  returning 
their  hre  across  the  river  at  tlie  place  where  the  Ijridge  formerly  was, 
whilst  the  Light  Infantry  and  remainder  of  the  Legion  crossed  the  river 
below,  and  came  in  tiie  rear  of  them  before  they  were  aware  of  it.  Here 
the  bayonet  was  introduced  so  effectually  that  a  Capt.  Mills,  and  sixteen 
private  of  the  Rebels,  could  not  exist  any  longer,  and  of  course  gave 
up  the  cause.  Four  were  badly  wounded,  and  one  taker  prisoner  that 
luckily  escaped  the  bayonet.  Maj.  Graham,  of  the  Light  Infantry,  and 
Maj.  Wright,  of  the  Georgia  Loyalists,  slightly  wounded.  The  former 
continued  to  command  his  battalion,  and  the  latler  continued  his  march. 
Two  privates  of  tlie  Light  Infantry  were  also  slightly  wounded.  We 
remained  all  night  at  Ogilvics'  plantation,  on  the  side  of  the  river  called 
Indian  land.  This  day's  march  was  very  tedious — a  disagreeable,  rainy, 
cold  day,  and  through  a  swamp  where  the  water  was  from  two  to  three 
feet  deep. 

Sunday,  igth.     Passed  Saltketcher  river — where  the  bridge  formerly 


.'.«•- 

^ 


1   I 


rrr 


APPENDIX. 


487 


stood,  but  has  been  destroyed  since  the  rebellion— in  boats,  and  swam 
the  horses.  The  causeway  on  both  sides  of  the  river  is  overflowed  with 
water  from  two  to  three  feet  deep,  at  the  ferry  house,  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  the  river.  Dr.  Johnson  dressed  the  wounds  of  JMaj.  Wright 
and  the  four  Rebels  that  were  bayoneted  yesterday.  Marched  one  mile 
and  a  half  to  a  tavern  kejjt  by  Mr.  Giljson,  who  is  at  present  prisoner  in 
Charleston,  for  not  taking  up  arms  when  his  country  so  loudly  calls  for 
assistance. 

AFonday,  sotJi.  The  army  got  in  motion,  marching  about  two  miles. 
Received  orders  to  halt,  the  rear  guard  being  lired  on  ;  it  proved  to  be 
the  York  Volunteers,  getting  the  boats  on  the  carriages  at  the  river,  were 
fired  on  by  a  skulking  party  of  rascals  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream. 
Three  poor  lads  of  the  York  Volunteers  were  killed.  What  damage 
was  done  to  the  Rebels  we  are  not  certain.  Detained  by  this  and 
repairing  of  bridges  on  the  road,  wo  only  marched  seven  miles  this  day. 
Took  up  our  ground  at  a  place  called  Godfrey's  savannah. 

Tuesday,  sist.  The  army  got  in  motion.  Marched  to  Fish  Pond 
river.  Here  we  were  detained  to  repair  the  bridge  till  evening.  Before 
we  crossed  we  moved  on  about  three  miles,  through  a  swamp,  over  an 
exceeding  bad  causeway.  This  day  Col.  Tarleton,  with  his  dragoons, 
joined  us  from  Beaufort,  where  he  had  been  to  get  horses — his  being  all 
lost  on  the  passage  from  New  York.  We  took  up  our  ground  about 
ten  o'clock  at  night,  and  remained  till  ten  o'clock  next  morning. 

IVcdui'sday,  32d,  The  army  got  in  motion  at  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  marched  as  far  as  Horse  Shoe,  where  we  again  were  detained  to 
repair  the  bridge.  After  crossing,  continued  our  march  to  Jacksonsburgh, 
a  village  containing  about  sixty  houses,  situated  on  Pon  Pon,  or  Edisto 
river.  The  most  of  the  houses  are  very  good  ;  the  people  tolerable  well 
to  live  ;  some  large  store  houses  for  rice,  from  which  they  convey  it  by 
water  to  Charleston  market.  In  short,  it  is  a  pleasant  little  place,  and 
well  situated  for  trade,  but  the  inhabitants  are  all  Rebels — not  a  man 
remaining  in  the  town,,  except  two,  one  of  whom  was  so  sick  he  could 
not  get  out  of  bed,  and  the  other  a  doctor,  who  had  the  name  of  a  friend 
to  Government.  The  women  were  treated  very  tenderly,  and  with  the 
utmost  civility,  notwithstanding  their  husbands  were  out  in  arms  against 
us. 

T/iursday,  2jd.  All  the  army,  except  tiie  Seventy-first  regiment, 
and  greatest  part  of  the  baggage,  crossed  the  river  in  boats  and  Hats,  the 
bridge  being  destroyed.  Col.  Tarleton  came  up  with  a  party  of  Rebel 
militia  dragoons,  soon  after  crossing  the  river  at  Gov.  Bee's  plantation. 
He  killed  ten,  and  tool  four  prisoners.  Gov.  Bee  was  formerly  Lieut. 
Gov.  under  His  Majesty,  is  now  one  of  the  members  of  Congress,  and 
Lieut.  Gov.  of  South  Carolina. 

Friday,  241/1.    The  remainder  of   the  baggage  and   Seventy-first 


1' 


m 


m-im 

Mil     '      ~ 


488 


ALLAIRE'S  DTARV. 


regiment  passed  Pnii  Ton  rivcM'.  TIic  army  j;ot  in  motion  about  one 
o'clock  in  tlie  afternoon,  anil  marched  about  seven  miles,  where  we 
halted  all  nif^ht.  A  il.v^  of  truce,  consistinj^  of  a  Capt.  Saunders,  Capt. 
Wilkinson,  one  private  and  a  servant,  came  in  at  the  rear  of  the  army. 
Just  as  we  halted  they  were  severely  reprimanded  by  Gen.  Paterson  for 
their  unmilitary  conduct.  He  told  them  tliat  they  were  ij^morant  of  the 
profession  tliey  followed  ;  and  in  conseciuence  of  their  behavior  he  must 
detain  them  all  night,  and,  as  to  their  request,  it  would  not  be  i;ranted, 
which  was  likewise  very  unmilitary,  it  beinj^  to  speak  with  the  prisoners 
and  jjive  them  some  necessaries.  The  gentry  of  the  flag  were  led  blind- 
fold to  their  lodging.  This  day  Col.  Ferguson  got  the  rear  guard  in  order 
to  do  his  King  and  country  justice,  l:)y  protecting  friends,  and  widows,  and 
destroying  Rebel  jiroperty ;  also  to  collect  live  stock  for  the  use  of  the 
army,  all  of  which  we  effect  as  we  go,  by  destroying  furniture,  breaking 
windows,  etc.,  taking  all  their  horned  cattle,  horses,  mules,  sheep,  fowls, 
etc.,  and  their  negroes  to  drive  thiMn.  We  had  a  disagreeable  night — 
very  heavy  shower,  with'a  great  deal  of  heavy  thunder  and  lightning. 

Saturday,  3jf/i.  The  army  got  in  motion  at  reveille  beating,  and 
marched  to  Stono,  where  was  formerly  a  bridge,  called  Wallace's 
Bridge.  We  took  up  our  ground  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
where  we  remained  all  night.  Light  Infantry  and  part  of  the  Dragoons 
went  over  the  river. 

Sunday,  26th.  Consumeil  the  whole  day  in  passing  the  baggage  and 
live  stock  over  the  river,  the  bridge  that  formerly  stood  here  being 
destroyed,  and  the  one  just  made  very  bad.  We  took  up  our  ground  as 
soon  as  we  got  over,  on  a  neck  of  land  that  runs  down  between  Stono 
and  Rantowle's,  only  one  mile  between  the  two  rivers.  This  day  the 
Commander-in-chief  came  to  us  from  James  Island,  which  is  si.\  miles 
distant. 

Monday,  2y//i.  Two  companies  of  Light  Infantry,  American  Volun- 
teers, and  one  company  of  Dragoons,  crossed  at  Rantowle's  in  scows; 
the  rest  of  the  army  crossed  yesterday.  Col.  Hamilton,  of  the  North 
Carolinians,  and  Dr.  Smith,  of  the  Hospital,  proceeding  about  a  mile  in 
front  of  the  army,  to  Gov.  Rutledge's  house,  were  immediately  sur- 
rounded by  three  hundred  Continental  Light  Horse,  and  they  con- 
sequently made  prisoners.  The  British  Dragoons  fell  in  with  them  soon 
after,  and  had  a  skirmish  ;  the  Rebels  soon  gave  way,  and  showed  tliem 
the  road,  as  is  customary  for  them  to  do.  Or.  Master  Sergeant  Mcintosh, 
of  the  Georgia  Dragoons,  badly  wounded  in  the  face  by  a  broadsword. 
Several  Dragoons  of  the  Legion  were  wounded.  How  many  of  the 
Rebels  got  hurt  we  can't  learn  ;  but  they  did  not  keep  up  the  combat 
long  enough  for  many  to  receive  damage.  This  morning,  Capt. 
Saunders,  that  came  in  with  the  flag  on  the  24th,  was  sent  out;  his 
attendant,  Capt.  Wilkinson,  not  being  mentioned  in  the  body  of  the 


APPENDIX. 


489 


flafj,  is  detained  as  a  ])iisnncr  of  war.  Wo  took  up  our  y;roiind  on  Gov. 
Rutledj^e's  plantation,  aliout  one  mile  from  liis  liouse,  where  we  remained 
all  niL;lit. 

Tiirsiiay,  sSth.  The  army  .t(ot  in  motion  about  nine  o'clock  in  the 
mornin>^,  and  marched  to  Ashley  Ferry,  where  we  met  liie  liriti.sh  and 
Hessians,  Grenadiers,  I.ii^ht  Infantry  and  Yagers,  under  command  of  Sir 
II.  Clinton.  We  continued  our  march  down  the  river  aljout  six  miles  to 
Lininj^'s  plantation ;  it  is  situated  on  Ashley  river,  nearly  opposite 
Charlestown,  and  commands  an  extensive  view  towards  the  sea. 

IViiinesday,  3gth.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  with  the  British  and  Hessians, 
Grenadiers,  Lit^dit  Infantry  and  Yagers,  passed  over  Ashley  river  to 
Charleston  Neck,  early  in  the  morning.  Spent  the  day  in  viewing 
Charleston  and  found  it  not  a  little  like  New  York;  for  Ashley  and 
Coojjcr  rivers  form  aba)'  exactly  like  East  and  Ncjrth  river  at  New  York. 

T/iiirsi/iiy,  jo/k.  Incessant  firing  of  small  arms  on  the  neck;  can- 
non at  short  intervals.  This  firing  was  at  the  Commander-in-chief  and 
his  family  reconnoitring.  He  forljid  the  British  returning  the  fire.  Lord 
Cathness,  standing  by  the  side  of  Gen.  Clinton,  was  shot  through  the 
body  by  a  musket  ball;  one  Yager  killed. 

Friday,  Jist.  Engineers'  tools,  etc.,  carried  over  from  Lining's 
Landing,  and  broke  groun  !  without  molestation,  under  direction  of  Maj. 
Moncricff.  Rode  two  miles  to  see  two  redoubts,  one  of  which  has  six, 
and  the  other  two  thirty-two  pounders  in  them,  at  the  mouth  of  Wapoo- 
Cut,  a  river  that  runs  from  Stono  to  Ashley  river,  and  separates  from  the 
main  land  what  is  called  James  Island.  Those  two  redoubts  are  exactly 
op[)Osite  Charleston. 

Sa/iinfiiy,  April  isf.  Some  cannon  and  mortars  moved  over  Ashley 
river  fron\  Lining's  Landing. 

Sioiday,  2d.     Rode  down  to  view  our  fleet  that  lay  at  Stono. 

Monday,  jd.  Marched  to  Ashley  I'erry  to  cover  the  Dragoons  of  the 
Legion  whilst  crossing  the  river.  Marched  from  this  up  the  river  to 
Henry  Middlcton's  j)lantation ;  passed  several  famous  country  scats, 
one  called  Drayton's  Hall,  belonging  to  William  Henry  Drayton, 
deceased,  who  was  a  member  of  Congress,  and  died  at  Philadelphia. 
Constant  firing  at  our  works  from  the  Rebels  all  day. 

Tuesday,  4th.  Constant  cannonade  from  the  Rebels,  both  from  their 
batteries  and  shipping;  one  of  their  ships,  endea\'oring  to  move  up 
Cooper  river,  was  fired  on  from  our  works,  and  dro\e  back. 

Wfdiicsday,  jt/i.  Constant  cannonade  from  the  Rebels  at  our 
works  on  the  Neck,  in  the  evening.  Our  batteries  at  the  mouth 
of  W^apoo-Cut  opened,  and  kept  up  a  warm  fire  for  a  few  minutes,  then 
the  firing  ceased  on  both  sides. 

Thursday,  6th.  Cannonade  from  the  Rebels  all  day  by  intervals. 
In  the  evening  our  batteries  opened  on  the  Neck,  and  at  Wapoo-Cut 
fired  all  night  by  intervals. 


I,!     \ 


I!  \ 


Wr 


1  I'i/itifaiii  ii-  , 


'Aji/ 


--11 


#■ 


Iff 


490 


ALLAIRE'S  DLIRY. 


Friday,  ~th.     Cannonade  at  intervals  as  usual, 

Saturday,  St/i.  But  little  firing  from  the  Rebels.  Rainy,  disagree- 
able morning.  The  Rebels  were  reinforced  with  lliirtecn  hundred  men 
last  night,  commanded  by  a  Gen.  Scott.  They  fired  i\  ffu  dc  jou\  and 
rang  all  the  bells  in  town  on  the  occasion.  About  four  o'clock  this 
afternoon  the  fieet  hove  in  sight,  coming  up  under  full  sail  with  a  fresh 
breeze  at  south  west,  anil  passed  Fort  Moultrie — the  Rebel  fort  that 
they  boasted  of  on  Sullivan's  Island,  which  no  fieet  could  ever  pass. 
They  were  but  a  few  minutes  passing.  What  damage  is  sustained  we 
have  not  yet  learned.  The  Richmond  lost  her  fore  top-mast ;  a  cutter 
lay  opposite  the  fort  all  the  time  the  fieet  was  passing,  with  a  fiag  hoisted 
to  point  out  the  channel.  A  heavy  cannonade  from  the  Rebels' 
batteries,  which  the  shii)ping  returned  as  they  passed  with  a  spirit 
bcconfing  Britons. 

Sunday,  gth.  Admiral  Arbuthnot  came  on  shore,  and  went  over  to 
Head-quarters  on  the  Neck.  By  him  we  were  informed  that  there  were 
only  seven  men  killed,  and  fifteen  wounded,  in  passing  Sullivan's  Island. 
The  shipping  damage  was  so  trifiing  that  'twas  not  worth  mentioning. 

Monday,  lolh.  Nothing  extraordinary.  Cannonade  from  our  bat- 
teries during  the  night  to  cover  the  working  parties. 

Tuesday,  nth.  Col.  Ferguson  came  from  Head-quarters.  Informs 
us  tiuil  tlie  town  was  summoned  to  surrender  to  his  Britannic  Majesty. 
Answer  was  returned,  that  ilicy  thought  it  necessary  as  well  as  their  duty 
to  defend  it  to  the  last  extremity,  which  they  meant  to  do. 

Wednesday ,  12th.  Received  orders  to  march.  The  North  Caro- 
linians were  ordered  to  join  Col.  Ferguson.  We  left  Lining's  plantation 
about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  marched  to  Bacon's  Bridge, 
twenty-two  miles,  where  we  arrived  at  five  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning; 
very  much  fatigued.     We  halted  to  refresh  till  seven.     Cool  weather. 

Thursday,  ijth.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Marched  through  a  small  village  called  Dorchester.  It  contains  about 
forty  houses  and  a  church.  Continued  our  march  to  Middleton's  ])lan- 
tation  at  Goose  creek,  al^out  fifteen  miles  from  Bacon's  Bridge,  and  ten 
from  Dorchester.  Here  we  met  the  Legion  aI)out  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  halted  till  ten  at  night.  Then,  in  company  with  them, 
got  in  motion  and  marched  eighteen  miles  to  Monk's  Corner,  being 
informed  that  Col.  Washington's,  Pulaski's,  Bland's,  and  Horry's  Light 
Horse  lay  here.  We  arrived  just  as  day  began  to  appear  on  Friday 
morning,  and  found  the  above  enemy  here,  in  number  about  four  hun- 
dred, including  some  militia  that  arrived  the  day  before,  commanded  by 
Gen.  linger.  Luckily  for  them,  they  were  under  marching  orders,  which 
made  tiicm  more  alert,  when  the  alarm  was  given,  than  usual,  which 
alone  prevented  their  being  all  taken  completely  by  surprise.  They 
made  off   with  great  expedition.     We   pursued,  overtook  and   killed 


APPENDIX. 


491 


Pulaski's  Major  Vernier,  wounded  a  French  Lieut.  Bcaulait,*  and  one 
other  officer;  about  sixty  privates  were  taken,  fifteen  or  twenty  of  whom 
were  wounded.  We  had  but  one  man  wounded,  and  he  very  sli;;htly. 
We  tfiok  tli'ity  wagons,  with  four  liorses  in  eacli.  A  numl^er  of  very 
fine  horses  that  belonged  lo  their  troops  were  likewise  taken,  and  con- 
verted to  Britisli  I>ight  liorses.  Col.  Washington  and  all  their  officers 
made  but  a  narrow  escape ;  their  baggage;,  letters,  and  some  of  their 
commissions  were  taken. 

Friihn',  14th.  Remained  at  Monk's  Corner,  collecting  the  stores, 
etc.  About  seven  o'clock  at  night,  accidentally  a  store  ln)iise  caugiit 
fire,  in  which  were  two  casks  of  powder;  was  very  much  alarmed  by  the 
explosion,  and  all  got  under  arms.  This  confusion  was  scarcely  over 
when  three  ladies  came  to  our  camji  in  great  distress  :  Lady  Colleton, 
Miss  Fictsy  (Jiles,  and  Miss  Jean  Russell.  They  had  been  most  shock- 
ingly abused  by  a  plundering  villain.  Lady  Colleton  badly  cut  in  the 
hand  by  a  broadsword,  and  Ijruised  vciy  much.  After  my  fricntl.  Dr. 
Johnson,  ilresscd  her  hand,  he,  wiili  an  officer  and  twelve  men,  went  to 
the  plantation,  about  one  mile  from  camp,  lo  protect  Mrs.  Fayssoux, 
whom  this  infamous  villain  had  likeuise  abused  in  the  same  manner. 
There  he  found  a  most  accomplished,  amiable  lady  in  the  greatest 
distress  imaginable.  After  he  took  a  little  blood  from  her  she  was  more 
composed,  and  next  morning  come  to  camp  to  testify  against  the  cursed 
villain  that  abused  them  in  this  horrid  manner,  lie  was  secured  and 
sent  to  Ilead-ciuan."rs  for  trial. 

Saturday,  /jt/t.  '1  iie  army  got  in  motion  about  twelve  o'clock.  j\Ty 
friend,  Dr  Johnson,  and  myself  had  the  happiness  of  escorting  tlic  ladies 
to  their  plantation.  Before  we  got  there  we  were  met  by  a  servant 
informing  us  that  there  were  more  plunderers  in  the  house.  This  news 
so  shocked  Lady  Colleton  and  Mrs.  Fayssoux,  who  were  some  distance 
before  us,  and  the  young  ladies  in  a  carriage,  Uiat  I  am  not  able  to 
describe  their  melancholy  situation,  which  was  truly  deploral)le.  After 
their  fright  was  a  little  over  we  passed  on  to  their  house  ;  but  the  ladies 
fearing  to  stay  alone.  Lady  Colleton  and  Mrs.  Fayssoux  got  into  the 
carriage.  Miss  Giles  behind  me,  and  Miss  Russell  on  a  horse,  which  I 
led  for  fear  he  should  make  off  with  my  fair  one  ;  they  passed  on  willi  us 
four  miles  to  a  plantation  called  Mullierry  Broughton,  and  here  we  Ijid 
adieu  to  our  fair  companions  with  great  regret,  they  thinking  liieniselves 
out  of  danger  of  any  insults.  We  this  day  couiitermaitlied  to  the 
twenty-three  mile  house,  and  halted  all  niglit. 

Sunday,  i6th.     Got  in  motion  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning, 


I 


♦Be.iiilait  has  been  very  nnfortiiiiate  since  in  Amcric.T  He  received  seven  wounds  by 
a  broadsword,  in  a  charge  of  CanipheHs  I.iijlit  Hdrse.  when  Charlcstowii  was  besicijc-d  by 
Gen.  Provost,  and  two  at  Monk's  Corner,  which  amounts  to  nine,  four  or  five  of  them  in 
the  face.— A.  A. 


ill 


If* 


iv 


492 


ALUIIRK'S  DIARY. 


and  maichcd  to  Strawbcny  Ferry,  a  brancli  of  Cooper  river.  Took  up 
the  day  in  passing  the  army  and  ba^fgagc  over  the  stream.  After 
crossing;,  marched  four  miles  to  liono  Ferry,  anotltcr  Ijranch  of  Cooper 
river,  where  wc  came  u|)  with  tlic  baggage  of  the  'riiirty-lliiid  and 
Sixty-fourth  Regiments,  and  of  tlie  L'jgion.  Here  we  hiy  all  night,  as 
it  took  up  the  night  to  get  this  baggage  over  the  river.  A  Captain's 
guard  from  our  detachment  was  sent  over  to  take  charge  of  a  store  house 
full  of  household  furniture,  brought  out  of  town  and  deposited  at  a  Maj. 
lUitlcr's  for  safety — the  store  was  full  of  very  rich  fiu^nitiu'e  of  all  kinds, 

Monday,  i-^tli.  Crossed  Bono  Ferry  and  passed  c-n  to  Miller's 
Bridge,  over  a  branch  of  Wando  river,  where  we  took  up  our  ground 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  This  day  pasjed  St,  Thomas' 
church,  where  wc  met  the  Thirty-third  regiment. 

Tuesday,  iStli.  Began  to  fortify  at  the  Bridge,  a  id  make  a  block 
house  in  order  to  keep  post  here  with  a  few  mi  n. 

Wcdiirxday,  igth.  Maj.  Ferguson,  with  fifty  of  the  American 
Vohnileers,  anil  part  of  the  North  Carolinians,  moved  on  to  join  the 
Thirty-third  and  Sixty-fourth  regiments,  and  the  British  Legion,  which 
had  gone  forward  to  attack  a  Rebel  i)ost  at  Lempriere's  Point.  The 
British  were  coming  back;  they  had  marched  up  to  the  fort,  but  found 
it  so  strong  that  it  was  imprudent  to  storm  it  with  so  few  men. 

Thursday,  3oth.  Remained  at  Miller's  Bridge,  finishing  the  block 
house.  Col.  Tarleton  surprised  and  took  nine  sloops  with  goods,  stores, 
etc.,  and  twenty  pieces  of  cannon. 

Friday,  21st.  Capt.  Ryerson,  with  forty  American  Volunteers,  a 
subaltern,  and  twenty  of  the  Thirty-third,  and  a  subaltern,  and  twenty 
of  the  Sixty-fourth  regiments,  remained  at  Miller's  Bridge  to  defend 
and  keep  the  pass.  The  remainder  of  the  Thirty-third  and  Sixty- 
fourth  regiments,  American  Volunteers,  and  British  Legion,  counter- 
marched twelve  miles  and  took  up  our  ground  at  St.  Thomas'  church. 

Saturday,  22d.  Took  possession  of  the  parish  house ;  took  up  and 
was  under  the  disagreeable  neccessity  of  detaining  a  lady  of  the  town, 
on  suspicion  of  her  being  a  spy. 

January  2jd.  Moved  from  the  house  into  the  woods  for  the  con- 
venience of  shade — very  warm  weather. 

Monday,  2.f//i.  Lord  Cornwallis  joined  us  and  took  command. 
About  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  there  was  the  most  tremendous 
cannonade  I  ever  heard,  and  an  incessant  fire  of  musketry.  The 
Rebels  sallied  out  and  took  eight  of  the  Light  hifantry  prisoners,  upon 
which  the  whole  line  got  under  arms;  some  in  their  hurry  getting  out 
without  putting  on  their  coats,  were  taken  by  the  others  for  Rebels,  and 
fired  on,  which  unluckily  occasioned  warm  work  for  a  few  minutes. 
Sixty  odd  of  ours  got  killed  and  woinided  by  our  own  men.  The 
Rebels  were  repidsed,  and  they  finding  their  muskets  rather  an  incum- 
brance threw  thirty  odd  of  them  away. 


APPENDIX. 


493 


\\ 


:i 


Tucsiiixy,  25th.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  got  in  motion  ; 
were  joiiu'd  by  tlie  'rwciity-tliird  regiment  and  V'ihint(;ers  of  Ireland. 
We  i)r()cceded  on,  passed  over  Miller's  IJridge  and  Waputa  liridgc,  took 
possession  of  Waputa  meeting  house,  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, where  we  halted  till  two  in  the  morning. 

Wednesday,  26th.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  got  in  motion,  and 
marched  seventeen  miles  to  Mount  Pleasant,  opposite  Charleston,  where 
we  took  possession  of  the  ground,  on  which  the  Rebels  had  one  eighteen 
pounder.  Here  is  a  ferry  from  this  to  a  town  called  Hibban's  Ferry; 
there  are  very  good  liarracks  here  if  finished,  that  were  i^egun  before  the 
rebellion.  Sullivan's  Island  is  about  a  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  Point. 
There  is  a  bridge  from  the  Point  to  the  Islantl  with  four  arches.  The 
barracks  were  used  for  a  hospital,  in  which  we  took  some  invalids  and  a 
doctor.  About  six  miles  from  the  Point  stands  Christ  Church.  This 
night  I  might  properly  sing,  "Content  with  our  hard  fate,  my  boys," 
on  the  cold  ground  where  I  lay — wrapt  up  in  my  great  coat,  with  my 
saddle  for  a  [)iIlow.     A  blustering  cold  night. 

Thursday,  2/th.  (]ot  in  motion  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  countermarched  to  Waputa  meeting  house.      Cold  north-east  wind. 

Friday,  2Sth.  Fortified  the  small  hf)use  by  the  side  of  the  meeting 
house,  at  ten  o'clock  at  night.  Intelligence  being  received  that  the 
Rebels  had  left  the  fort  at  Lempriere's  Point,  and  gone  to  Charleston, 
we  got  in  motion  and  marched  down  to  discover  the  fact.  We  arrived 
about  four  in  the  morning,  and  found  the  fort  occupied  by  the  Navy,  a 
Lieutenant  of  the  Navy,  commanding  officer.  The  Rebels  were  gone 
tc  Charleston. 

Saturday,  2gth.  Countermarched  to  our  old  grounds  at  the  meeting 
house.     Pleasant  weather. 

Sunday,  jot/i.  Got  in  motion  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  in 
company  with  the  York  Volunteers,  and  marched  to  Lempriere's  Point 
to  take  post  there.  We  got  to  our  ground  about  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  where  we  found  four  eighteen,  two  four  pounders,  and  five 
swivels,  that  the  Rebels  left  in  their  fort.  A  very  disagreeable  post  it  is, 
being  nothing  but  a  bank  of  sand,  where,  in  a  windy  day,  you  must 
keep  your  eyes  shut  or  have  them  filled  with  sand.  Here  used  to  be  a 
ferry  called  Lempriere's  Ferry. 

Monday,  May  ist.     Pathcd  in  Wando  river. 

Tuesday,  2d.  Began  to  fortify  Lempriere's  Point.  Maj.  Ferguson, 
with  a  detachment  of  American  Volunteers,  marched  down  to  Mount 
Pleasant,  stormed  and  took  possession  of  a  little  redoubt,  located  pardy 
on  the  main,  and  partly  on  the  bridge  that  leads  to  Fort  Moultrie.  This 
cuts  off  the  communication  from  Sullivan's  Island,  and  keeps  them  on 
their  proper  allowance.  The  Rebels  ran  off  from  the  redoubt,  though  it 
was  very  strongly  situated,  after  they  fired  about  a  dozen  shot. 


t      !         ? 


'W^\ 


I      I 

I      ' 


494 


ALLAIRE'S  DLiRY. 


If  •;     1 


P  w 


Wednesday,  jd.  Still  fortifying  Lcmpricrc's  Point.  In  tlip  evening 
bcRiin  .1  cannonade  on  the  neck,  which  cn"»=micd  very  heavy  all  \\\\([\\. — 
an  incessant  firing'  of  musketry,  tlio  cannt  fly  from  the  Rebels,  small 

arms  from  us.  'riiis  night  took  their  jiital  ship  that  lay  opposite 
the  town. 

Thiirsiiity,  ftJi.  Continued  fortifyincf  the  Point.  Rode  from  Lem- 
pricre's  i'oint  to  Mount  Pleasant;  dined  with  Capt.  Ord,  of  the  Navy. 
After  dinner  rode  to  Hurdle's  [lladdreH'sPJ  Point  to  view  the  redoubt 
which  Col.  Ferguson  stormed  tlie  second  of  May,  with  only  bixty  men 
and  never  was  more  surprised  in  my  life,  for  twenty  men  like  the 
American  Wjluntecrs  wtuild  have  ddied  all  \Va^,hington's  Army. 

Friday,  jth.  Very  windy — in  danger  of  losing  one's  eyes  by  the 
blowing  of  sand.     Cold  blustering  night. 

Saturday,  6fh.  Very  disagreeable,  windy  day.  Still  at  Lempriere's. 
News  just  received  from  Lord  Cornwallis,  that  Lieut.  Nash  and  eleven 
dragoons  that  were  patrolling,  were  taken  by  Washington  and  Horry's 
LiglU  Horse  near  Santce  river.  Col.  Tarleton  was  immediately  ordered 
to  pursue  them.  He  overtook  them  at  th  '-'er  ;  charged  and  killed  a 
number,  and  took  a  Major  and  thirty  pr  The  patrolling  party  that 

had  been  taken  were  in  a  boat,  rowir,„  is  the  river.     Upon  their 

seeing  Col.  Tarleton,  they  immctli.itely  seized  the  guard,  threw  them 
overboard,  rowed  themselves  back  and  joined  their  regiment  again. 
Col.  Washington  and  Horry  took  to  the  river  and  swam  across  it. 

Sunday,  ~tli.  Orders  to  get  reatly  to  marcli  wilii  two  days'  provision, 
at  a  minute's  notice.  ^L^j.  Ferguson  had  obtained  permission  to  attack 
Fort  Moultrie.  He  rode  forward  witii  four  dragoons  to  reconnoitre- 
We  were  to  remain  at  our  post  till  we  got  orders  for  marching.  Tlie  first 
news  we  heard  was  the  fort  was  in  possession  of  the  British  ;  the  Rebels 
had  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  of  war.  Capitulation  was  as 
follows:  Capt.  Hudson  of  the  Navy  summoned  the  fort  on  Friday,  and 
received  for  answer:  "  Tol,  lol,  de  rol,  lol :  Fort  Moultrie  will  be 
defended  to  the  last  extremity."  On  Saturday  he  sent  another  flag,  and 
demanded  a  surrender,  acquainting  Col.  Scott  that  the  Lieutenant  with 
the  flag  would  wait  a  cpiarter  of  an  hour  for  an  answer.  If  the  fort  was 
not  given  u|),  he  would  immediately  storm  it,  and  put  all  the  garrison 
to  the  sword.  At  this  Col.  Scott  changed  the  tune  of  his  song,  begging 
that  there  might  be  a  cessation  of  arms,  that  tlie  fort  would  be  given  up 
on  the  following  conditions  :  that  the  officers  both  Continental  and  militia, 
should  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war,  and  be  allowed  to  wear  their 
side  arms ;  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  militia  have  paroles  to  go 
to  their  respective  homes,  and  remain  peaceably  till  exchanged ;  and 
the  continental  soldiers  to  be  treated  tenderly.  Granted  by  Capt. 
Hudson.  Aljout  eight  o'clock  Sunday  morning,  Colonel  Scott  with  his 
men,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty,  marched  out   of  the  fort,  piled 


APPENDIX. 


495 


the 


their  arms,  Capt.  Hudson  marched  in,  took  possession  nf  Fort  Moultrie, 
the  key  to  Charleston  harbor;  which  puts  it  in  our  power  to  keep  out 
any  forcin;^'  enemy  that  would  wish  to  )^\\c  the  Kchcls  any  assistance. 
Taken  in  the  fort,  tifly  barrels  of  jjovvder,  forty-tour  pieces  of  cannc  .1, 
one  brass  ten  inch  mortar,  three  thousand  cannon  cartridges,  five 
hundred  ten  inch  shells,  forty  thousand  musket  cartrid^'cs,  three  month's 
salt  provision,  a  lot  of  rice,  forty  head  black  cattle,  sixty  sheep,  twenty 
goats,  forty  fat  hogs,  six  wayons,  two  stand  of  colors,  an  amazin},' 
quantity   of   hint;*    and,  in  short,  so  many  other  articles   which   are 

'^'Match-c   ''\  for  firing  cannon. 

necessary  in  a  fort  that  it  would  take  me  a  week  to  set  them  down. 

MohiUjv,  St/i.  Six  o'clock  in  the  morninj^^  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sent  in 
a  flajj,  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  Charleston.  Cieneral  Lincoln 
requested  cessation  of  hostilities  till  ei},dit  o'clock — from  eight  to  twelve ; 
and  the  truce  continued  until  four  o'clock  Tuesday  evening  when  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  receiving;  a  very  insolent  request,  sent  in  word  that  he 
plainly  saw  that  Gen.  Lincoln  did  not  mean  to  give  up  the  town  ;  that  the 
firing  should  cominence  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  at  which  time 
began  a  most  tremendous  cannonade,  throwing  of  carcases  and  shells 
into  the  town,  and  an  incessant  fire  of  musketry  all  night. 

IVtiiiu'sday,  loth.  Firing  still  continued  all  day,  and  very  brisk  all 
night. 

Thursday,  nth.  The  town  set  on  fire  by  a  carcase,  which  burnt 
sevenal  houses.  The  Rebels  sent  out  a  flag  soon  after;  our  firing  con- 
tinued without  taking  notice  of  tlieir  flag.  They  showed  the  second  flag, 
which  we  accepted.  It  was  begging  die  terms  that  had  been  offered  the 
last  truce.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  answered  them  the  firing  should  cease 
until  he  could  send  and  consult  Admiral  Arbuthnot.  The  terms  were 
granted. 

Friday,  12th.  The  gates  were  opened.  Gen.  Leslie  at  the  head  of  the 
British  Grenadiers,  Seventh,  Sixty-third  and  Sixty-fourth  regiments,  and 
Hessian  Grenadiers  marched  in,  and  took  possession  of  Charleston,  and 
soon  leveled  the  thirteen  s.tripes  with  the  dust,  and  displayed  the  British 
standard  on  their  ramparts.    Still  at  Lempriere's. 

Saturday,  ijth.     Remained  at  Lempriere's. 

Sunday,  14th.  Went  to  Charleston  to  view  their  strong  works.  .Saw 
the  poor  Rebel  dogs  very  much  chagrined  at  not  being  allowed  to  wear 
their  side  arms. 

Monday,  ijth.  Magazine  blew  up — set  the  town  on  fire— burnt 
s./eral  houses.  Capt.  Collins  and  Lieut.  (Gordon,  of  the  artillery,  Lieut. 
M'Leod  of  the  Forty-second  regiment,  and  about  thirty  privates,  perished 
by  the  explosion.  In  whnt  way  the  accident  happened  is  not  certain  ; 
'tis  supposed  by  throwing  the  captured  arms  into  the  magazine,  one  went 
off,  and  set  fire  to  the  powder. 


49C 


ALLAIRE'S  DLIRY. 


Tiu'sdify ,  lOtli.  TIk-  Anicricim  Volunteers  relieved  the  Navy,  and 
took  coniinand  of  I'oit  Moultrie. 

M^tinrs'Uiy,  lyt/i.  Sjieiit  the  day  in  \\'ritin;^^  letters  for  New  York. 
Nothiii;^  new. 

1  Inn siliiy,  1S//1,  to  Sinii/tiy,  21st.  Lay  at  Fort  Moultrie.  Nothing 
extia. 

Monday,  J2(i.     Received  orders  for  niarcliinj^ — wont  to  Charleston. 

'J'ursdiiy,  Jjd.  About  three  o'clock  in  tiie  afternoon  returned  in  a 
six-oared  boat,  and  had  the  pleasing  view  of  sixty  or  seventy  hnj^e  ships 
coming  into  the  harbor. 

UVi/iii'Si/ay,  2.jth.     Lay  at  Fort  Moultrie. 

'J'/unsiftiy,  .\^//t.  The  detachment  was  relieved  by  British  and  Hes- 
sian thenailic: :.  The  American  Volunteers  marched  up  to  Mount 
I'ieasant,  and  crossed  over  to  Charleston.  Marched  throuL;h  the  town, 
and  took  up  tiieir  ground  j  t  in  front  of  the  lines.  The  horses  and 
baggai;e  w  ih  myself  crossed  oni  Lempriere's  Point  to  the  Shi])  Yard, 
which  is  about  two  miles  hom  the  town. 

Friday,  j6I It.  The  lo'lovvinj^  corps  ^ot  in  motion  ab;)ut  three  o'clock 
in  tile  mornin;;,  untkr  the  command  of  Col.  lialfour,  of  the  Twenty- 
third  regiment,  viz — Li^lit  Infantry,  commanded  by  Maj.  Graham,  three 
companies  of  the  .Sevinth  by  Capt.  I'eacock,  American  Volunteers  by 
Maj.  I'er^mson,  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  American  Volunteers  hv  Licut.- 
Col.  Patterson — in  munber  aiiont  six  hundred.  Marc  hed  out  to  the  Ten 
Mile  House,  and  ludieil.  Made  bouLjh  houses  to  cover  the  men  front 
liie  heat  of  the  sun.     Heavy  thunder  shower. 

Saturday,  2~tlt.  Marched  at  five  o'clock  in  the  mornin^f;  jiasscd 
throii;.;h  a  piece  of  low  j^Mound  covered  with  ma;.;n(.lias  in  full  bloom, 
which  emitted  a  most  delicious  odor.  We  took  up  our  ^'round  at  a  planta- 
tion about  two  miles  from  die  Twenty-Three  Mile  House. 

Sunday,  sSth.  Got  in  motion  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Marched 
to  Monk's  Corner  and  halted.  Dr.  Johnson  and  myself  went  and  dined 
with  Lady  Colleton,  Miss  Russell  ami  Miss  Giles,  the  ladies  we  protected 
in  their  distress  win  11  -ve  were  here  the  fourteenth  of  April. 

Monday,  2()l/t.  Lay  eiuamped  in  a  wood  at  Monk's  Corner.  Spent 
an  agreeajjlc  aiternoon  at  Latly  Colleton's,  with  Miss  Russell  and  Miss 
Giles. 

Tiii\iday,  jofh.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  mornin;^,  and 
marched  to  Gen.  Moultrie's  plantation,  at  a  place  called  Prussia,  where 
wn  halted. 

llVdnrsday,  jrsf.  Got  in  motion  at  half  jiast  four  in  the  niorniii;;- ; 
marched  to  Greenland  swamp,  ;ind  halted. 

T/nirsdav,  Jinw  ist.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'cloi  k  in  the  iiioriiin,L(, 
and  marched  to  Nelson's  Ferry,  Santee  1  i\'(  r  \\\  eNjiress  were  informed 
that  Col.  Tarleton,  Monday,  the  2(jth,  fell   in   with   a  body  of  Rebels. 


P,    I 


:'  i 


APPENDIX. 


497 


[Bufonl's  corps]  forty  miles  above  Canuk'n.  He  summoned  them  to 
surrender— received  an  insolent  answer,  charged  them,  killed  one  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel, three  Captains,  eight  Subalterns,  one  Adjutant,  one  (Quarter- 
Master,  and  ninety-nine  Sergeants  ami  rank  and  lile.  Wounded  tlu,;e 
Captains,  live  Subalterns,  and  one  hundred  and  forty-two  rank  .ind  file. 
Made  prisoners  two  Captains,  one  Subaltern,  fifty  rank  and  tile.  Total 
killed,  wounded  and  taken  prisoners,  one  Lieutenant-Colonel,  eight 
Captains,  fourteen  Subalterns,  one  Adjutant,  one  Ouarter- Master,  and 
two  hundred  and  ninety-one  Sergeants,  rank  and  fde ;  tince  stand  of 
colors  taken,  two  brass  six-i)oundeis,  two  howitzers,  two  wagons  widi 
ammunition,  one  artillery  forge  wagon,  fifty-live  barrels  |)owiler,  twenty- 
six  wagons  loaded  with  cloUiing,  camp  eipiipagc,  musket-cartridges, 
cartridge-boxes,  flints,  etc.,  etc.  Killed  of  the  Legion,  Lieut.  McDonald 
and  Ensign  Campbell,  servmg  with  tlie  cavalry,  two  jjrivates  of  the  cav- 
alry, and  one  of  the  Light  Infantry.  Total,  two  Subalterns,  and  three 
rank  and  fde.  Wounded,  Lieut.  Patterson,  seven  dragoons,  making 
eight  rank  and  file  of  the  cavalry,  and  three  of  the  infantry.  Total 
wounded,  one  Subaltern,  and  eleven  rank  and  file. 

Friday,  2d.  Lay  encamped  in  a  pleasant  field  near  Nelson's  Terry. 
Ordered  to  be  in  readiness  to  march  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Saturday,  ^d.  (k)t  in  motion  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Marched 
to  Campbell's  plantation,  where  we  halted  in  the  wo(jds  for  the  conven- 
ience of  shade.     This  place  is  seventy-seven  miles  from  Charleston. 

Sunday,  4th.  Lay  in  the  woods  at  Campbell's  plantation.  Some 
prize  wine  shared  to  the  different  corps;  very  convenient  time  to  drink 
his  Majesty's  heali'.i. 

Monday,  ^th.  Got  in  motion  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  to  Cave  Hall,  St.  Matthew's  parish.  Just  below  our  camp  was 
a  remarkably  large  cave,  about  an  hundred  feet  deep.  There  is  a  room 
formed  by  a  rock  sixty  feet  long,  and  forty  wide,  with  famous  grand 
arches  formed  by  nature.  Through  the  middle  runs  a  beautiful  stream 
of  water,  which  heads  in  a  fountain  at  the  farther  end  of  the  cave.  This 
day  twenty  militia  men  came  in,  and  biought  the  new-fangled  Governor 
of  Georgia  prisoner.  Me  was  sent  to  Charleston.  He  hail  taken  [)ro- 
tcction  from  Lord  Cornwallis  as  a  private  man. 

Tuesday,  6ih.  Got  in  motion  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  thirteeen  miles  to  Col.  Thomson's,  and  halted  on  the  march. 
Started  two  bucks  ;  they  ran  in  amongst  the  men.  One  of  them  got 
caught.     The  militia  were  in  from  all  tpiarters. 

Wednesday,  yt/i.  Lay  encam])ed  at  Col.  Thomson's  plantation  ;  a 
field  in  our  rear  covered  with  sensitive  i)lant  anil  |)assion  flower. 

Thursday,  Sth.  Still  at  Thomson's  plantation.  A  thunder  shower 
every  afternoon. 

Friday,   gth.      Encamjied   still    at  Thomson's   plantation ;    wrote  a 

letter  to  Miss . 

33 


!  c  i. 


.  I  \ 


ill 


!   '' 


fiT  " 


m 


n 


498 


ALLAIRE'S  DIARY. 


Saturday,  loth.  Got  in  motion  and  left  Thomson's  at  twelve  o'clock 
at  night,  and  marched  eighteen  miles  to  Beaver  creek,  where  we  halted. 
Maj.  Graham,  and  two  dank  companies  of  the  Prince  of  Wales 
American  Volunteers,  remained  at  Thomson's.  This  day  a  company 
of  militia  came  in  with  their  arms.  A  Henry  Aleholm,  an  old  man 
eighty-one  years  of  age,  this  day  met  us ;  he  had  left  home  with  an 
intention  to  go  to  Charleston,  and  liad  walked  upwards  of  an  hundred 
miles  when  he  met  us.  His  errand  was  to  get  some  kind  of  assistance. 
He  had  been  jjlundercd  by  the  Rebels,  and  stripped  of  everything. 
What  is  remarkalile,  this  old  gentleman  left  at  home  a  child  between 
two  and  three  years  old. 

Sunday,  iilh.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  five  miles  and  halted. 

Monday,  12th.  Got  in  motion  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  fourteen  miles  to  Congarce  Stores.  This  day  jjassed  a  plan- 
tation where  were  aljout  four  hundred  acres  of  Indian  corn  growing — 
the  property  of  one  man. 

Tuesday,  ijth.  Lay  at  Congarce  Stores.  Alany  good  friends  to 
Government  have  suffered  much  by  the  Rebels. 

Wednesday,  i^ih.  Lay  at  Congarce  Stores.  Capt.  Peacock  and  the 
three  companies  of  Royal  Fusileers  under  his  command,  remain  here ; 
Col.  Patterson  and  his  battalion  to  go  to  Camden. 

Thursday,  i^th.  Got  in  motion  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  and 
marched  twelve  miles  to  Saluda  Ferry  ;  crossed  the  river  and  halted. 

Friday,  i6th.  Got  in  motion  at  half  after  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  marched  seven  miles  to  tl'j  blacksmith's,  and  halted. 

Saturday,  jyt/i.  '  ..y  still  in  the  field  at  the  blacksmith's,  or  High 
Hill  creek. 

Sunday,  iSth.  Got  in  motion  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  fourteen  miles  to  a  Capt.  Wright's,  of  Col.  Innes'  regiment. 

Monday,  igt/i.  Got  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  to  Cook's  place,  fourteen  miles.  This  Cook  is  a  Rebel  Justice 
and  Captain — a  great  persecutor  of  friends  to  Government.  He  is 
ordered  down  to  John's  Island,  a  place  pointed  out  for  the  reception 
of  such  infamous  villains. 

Tuesday,  20th.  Got  in  motion  and  marched  to  Davenport's,  fourteen 
miles.  He  was  fi)rmerly  Captain  of  militia  under  Government.  lie  has 
the  name  of  a  Tory  from  his  neighbors  ;  but  many  of  his  actions  were 
doui)tful. 

IVednesday,  21st.     Lay  encamped  at  Davenport's,  Little  river. 

Thursday,  22d.  Cjot  in  motion  at  twelve,  and  marched  ten  miles  to 
the  fording  place,  Saluda  river;  crossed  the  men  and  baggage  in  a  scow, 
and  forded  the  horses;  continued  our  march  six  miles  to  Ninety  Six, 
where  we  halted.     It  is  a  village  or  country  town — contains  about  twelve 


±sa 


APPENDIX. 


499 


\ 


t 


dwelling  houses,  a  court-house  and  a  jail,  in  which  arc  confined  about 
forty  Rebels,  brought  in  prisoners  by  the  friends  to  Government,  who 
have  just  now  got  the  opportunity,  and  gladly  embrace  it,  many  of  them 
having  been  obliged  before  this  to  hide  in  swamps  to  keep  from  prison 
themselves.  Ninety  Six  is  situated  on  an  eminence,  the  land  cleared  for 
a  mile  around  it,  in  a  flourishing  part  of  the  country,  supplied  with  very 
good  water,  enjoys  a  free,  open  air,  and  is  esteemed  a  healthy  place. 
Here  were  condemned  seventy-five  friends  to  Government  at  one  court ; 
five  were  executed — the  others  got  reprieved. 

Friday,  2ji/.  Lay  in  the  field  at  Ninety  Six.  Some  friends  came  in, 
four  were  wounded.  The  militia  had  embodied  at  Tuci<asegie,  on  the 
South  Fork  of  Catawba  river — were  attacked  by  a  party  of  Rebels,  under 
command  of  Gen.  Rutherford.  The  miltia  were  scant  of  ammunition, 
which  obliged  them  to  retreat.  They  were  oljliged  to  swim  the  river  at 
a  mill  dam.  The  Rebels  fired  on  them  and  killed  tliirty.*  Col.  Fergu- 
son, with  forty  American  Volunteers,  pushed  with  all  speed  in  pursuit 
of  the  Rebels.  It  is  seventy  miles  distance  from  Ninety  Six.  The 
militia  a.e  flocking  to  him  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

Sathrday,  2^ih.  Took  quarters  in  town,  opposite  the  jail,  where  I 
have  the  constant  view  of  the  Rebels  peeping  through  the  grates,  which 
affords  some  satisfaction  to  see  them  suffer  for  their  folly.  Some  of 
them  are  magistrates;  one  the  executioner  of  the  five  that  were  hanged 
here  some  time  in  April,  1779. 

Sunday,  2^th,  to  Tuesday,  2'^t/t.  Spent  in  cleaning,  parade,  and  in 
the  town. 

Thursday,  2gth,  and  Friday,  jot/t.  Still  at  Ninety  Six.  Nothing 
extra. 

Saturday,  July  ist.     Took  a  ride  into  the  country  for  exercise. 

Sunday,  2d,  to  Saturday,  Sth.     Still  at  Ninety  Six. 

Sunday,  gth.  The  American  Volunteers  moved  from  Ninety  Six  at 
seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  under  the  command  of  Captain  DePeyster, 
and  marched  seven  miles  to  Island  Ford,  o.'  Saluda  river,  on  our  way  to 
meet  a  party  of  Rebels  that  were  making  approaches  towards  our  lines. 
Dr.  Johnson  and  I  being  late  before  we  left  our  old  quarters,  without  any 
guide,  got  out  of  the  road  ;  found  our  mistake  at  a  mill,  three  miles  from 
the  road  we  ought  to  have  taken.  It  turned  out  to  be  no  great  loss,  as 
we  have  supplied  ourselves  with  a  grist  of  corn  for  our  horses.  We 
came  up  to  the  detachment  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Our  baggage 
had  not  arrived,  which  put  us  to  the  necessity  of  going  to  a  house  to 
lodge.  We  f^und  two  women,  and  spent  the  night,  though  not  to  our 
satisfaction.  It  afforded  some  merry  scenes  with  those  two  modest 
country  women. 


M  IS 


m 


i: 


11 


*Col.  Moore's  defeat  at  Ramsour's  Mill,  June  20th. 


in 


3) 


rn 


V  ■>    i 


n 


\m 


<' 


500 


ALLA IRE 'S  DIAR  Y. 


Monday,  lot/i.  dot  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  tlic  morning; 
crossed  Saluda  in  a  fl:it ;  marched  nine  miles  to  a  Rebel  Col.  Williams' 
plantation,  where  we  halted.  Mrs.  Williams  and  the  children  were  at 
home,  and  were  treated  with  the  iilmost  civility.  Col.  Williams  is  with 
the  Rebels,  and  is  a  very  violent,  persecuting  scoundrel. 

Tuesday,  iilh.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  eight  miles  to  Indian  creek,  and  halted  during  the  heat  of  the 
day  at  one  Ryan's,  who  is  a  good  friend,  and  suffered  much  for  his 
loyalty.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  marched  eleven 
miles  to  Duncan's  creek,  where  we  halted  at  a  Widow  Brown's. 

Wednesday,  i3tli.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
forded  Duncan's  creek  and  Enorec  river.  Continued  marching  to  Capt. 
Frost's,  at  Padget  creek,  eight  miles  from  the  Widow  Brown's.  This 
evening  met  an  express  with  the  disagreeable  news  of  a  party  of  ours 
consisting  of  seventeen  of  the  Legion,  eighteen  York  \'oluntcers,  and 
twenty-five  militia  being  defeated  at  Col.  Bratton's,  at  Fishing  creek.* 

Thursday,  ijf/i.  Lieut.  Hunt  of  the  Legion  Cavalry  came  to  our 
quarters  at  Capt.  Frost's.  He  was  one  of  the  i)any  defeated  the  twelfth 
inst.  He  gave  an  imperfect  account  of  the  affair.  Capt.  Huck  com- 
manded the  party  consisting  of  one  subaltern  and  seventeen  dragoons  of 
the  Legion,  three  subalterns  and  eighteen  New  York  Volunteers,  twenty- 
five  militia  men.  They  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  a  Rebel  pjirty,  and  arrived 
at  twelve  o'clock,  Tuesday  night,  the  nth  instant,  at  Col.  Bratton's,  at 
Fishing  creek,  and  were  very  much  fatigued.  They  thought  to  rest  them- 
selves. L' nfortunately  a  Rebel  party  commanded  by  a  Col.  Lacey  came 
U|)on  them  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  12th,  who  were  in  amongst 
them,  and  had  possession  of  every  pass  befi)re  they  where  apprised  of 
it — e.\ce])t  a  road  leading  towards  North  Carolina,  where  Captain  Huck, 
with  four  dragoons,  attempted.to  make  off.  Huck  got  shot  through  the 
neck,  of  which  he  died.  ]\Ir.  Hunt,  with  one  dragoon,  took  a  foot  path 
leading  to  a  swamp.  The  militia  he  could  give  no  account  of  We  left 
Capt.  Frost's  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening ;  forded  Tyger  river,  con- 
tinued our  march  twelve  miles  to  Sugar  creek.  Here  we  found  two 
hundred  militia  encamped  at  Wofford's  old  field,  Fair  Forest,  under 
command  of  Majors  Plummer  and  Gibbs.  The  Rebels,  we  hear,  are 
collecting  in  force  at  the  Catawba  Nation  and  Broad  river. 

Friday,  i^th.  Lay  enc,imi)ed  at  Fair  Forest.  Every  hour  news  from 
different  parts  of  the  country  of  Rebel  parties  doing  mischief  Light 
Infantry  of  Gen.  Browne's  corps  joined  us  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night. 

Saturday,  i^th.  Went  in  company  with  Capt.  F.  De  I'eyster,  Dr. 
Johnson,  and  Lieut.  Fletcher,  to  dine  with  Col.  Fletchall.  After  dinner 
went  to  see  his  mill,  which  was  a  curiosity,  having  never  seen  such  an  one 

♦Capt.  Hook  or  Huck  dcfcited  that  morning. 


•I 


APPENDIX. 


501 


\ 


before.  Tlic  water  falls  fourteen  feet  perpendicularly  down  into  a  tub, 
fixed  with  buckets;  from  this  tub  runs  up  a  shaft  through  the  stone,  and 
tiu'ns,  as  the  cog  turns,  a  double-geared  mill.  Returning  to  camp  were 
informed  that  Capt.  Dunlap  had  been  obliged  to  retreat  from  I'rincc's 
Fort.  Capt.  Dunlap  made  an  attack  upon  the  Rebels;  drove  them  from 
their  groinid,  took  one  prisoner,  who  informed  liini  that  the  Rebels  were 
four  hundred  strong.  Upon  this  information  Dunlap  thought  ])roper  to 
retreat,  as  his  number  was  only  fourteen  American  Volunteers  and  sixty 
militia.  \Vc  lost  two  killed,  a  sergeant  and  private  wounded,  and  one 
prisoner.  The  loss  of  the  Rebels  is  uncertain — reports  are,  twenty  or 
thirty  killed.  Upon  this  news  arriving,  Capt.  De  Peyster  ordered  the 
American  \'olunteers  and  militia  to  get  in  motion  to  support  Dunlap. 
Capt.  Frederick  Dc  Peyst:;r,  with  one  hundred  militia  men,  marched 
twelve  miles  to  McElwain's  creek,  where  they  met  Dunlap. 

Sit)t(Uiy,  16//1.  Dunlap  with  the  men  under  his  command  marched 
down  to  Stephen  White's  plantation,  where  the  American  Volunteers  and 
militia  lay. 

Afondiiy,  ijih.  Lay  at  White's.  The  militia  brought  in  four  prisoners, 
one  lad  of  fifteen  years  old,  badly  wounded  in  the  arms. 

Tuesday,  iSt/t.  Still  at  Mitchell's  creek.  This  day  Col.  Ferguson 
came  to  us  from  Nintey  Six  ;  brought  news  that  the  Light  Infantry  were 
on  their  march  to  join  us. 

IVcdiu'sday,  igtli.     Still  at  White's  plantation,  on  Mitchell's  creek. 

Thursday,  20th.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
marched  six  miles  to  Fair  Forest  Ford,  where  we  halted  and  lay  all 
night. 

Friday,  21st.  Col.  Balfour,  with  the  Light  Infantry  from  Ninety  Six, 
joined  us — we  still  remained  at  the  Ford. 

Saturday,  22d.  The  Light  Infantry,  American  Volunteers,  and  three 
hundred  militia,  got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening;  made 
a  forced  march  of  twenty-five  miles  to  Lawson's  Fork  to  surprise  a 
party  of  Rebels,  who,  we  were  informed,  lay  there.  We  arrived  at 
James  Wood's  plantation  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  greatly  disap- 
pointed at  finding  no  Rebels  here.  We  were  informed  they  were  at 
Green  river — twenty-five  miles  farther. 

Sunday,  23d.  Got  in  motion  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
countermarched  to  our  old  ground,  Fair  Forest  Ford. 

Monday,  24th.     Very  much  fatigued  ;  slept  all  day. 

Tuesday,  2^t/i.  Col.  Balfour  with  the  Light  Infantry  got  in  motion 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  marched  towards  Ninety  Six. 

Wednesday,  26th.     Lay  at  our  old  ground,  Fair  Forest. 

Thursday,  2jtJi.  Got  in  motion  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
forded  Fair  Forest  river;  marched  about  three  miles  and  took  up  our 
ground  in  the  wood. 


*   i 


Mil 


!;;■    I 


502 


ALLAIRE'S  DL4RY. 


Friday,  2Sth.  Cot  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  eight  miles  to  Col.  Henderson's  plantation,  Pacolet  river. 
Henderson  is  prisoner  at  Charlestown  ;  he  has  a  pretty  plantation,  with 
near  two  luinilred  acres  of  Indian  corn  growing. 

Saturday,  2gth.  Got  in  motion  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marclied  five  miles  to  Thicketty  river  and  halted ;  one  of  the  soldiers 
killed  a  Continental  rattle-snake,  with  thirteen  rattles  on. 

Sunday,  jot/i.  Got  in  motion  at  tliree  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
countermarched  twelve  miles  to  Armstrong's  creek.  Fair  Forest.  This 
day  came  into  camp  express  from  Anderson's  fort,  a  Capt.  Cook,  aged 
si.\ty  years,  who  has  buried  four  wives,  and  now  has  his  fifth  on  her 
last  legs. 

Monday,  jTsf.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  ten  miles  to  Mitchell's  creek,  Fair  Forest ;  a  very  wet,  disagree- 
able day  ;  got  thoroughly  soaked. 

Tuesday,  August  rst.  Lay  at  Mitchell's  creek.  Had  intelligence 
that  the  Rebels  had  attacked  Col.  TurnbuU  at  Rocky  Mount,  on  Sunday 
the  30tli ;  but  could  not  learn  the  particulars. 

Wednesday,  3d.  (iot  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
marched  four  miles  to  Tyger  river ;  forded  that  stream  and  continued 
our  march  to  Capt.  Bobo's,  and  halted.  Had  intelligence  that  Col. 
Turnbull  beat  off  the  Rebels;  Capt.  Hulett  got  wounded  in  the  head. 
The  Rebels  were  commanded  by  Gen.  Sumter.  He  sent  in  a  flag, 
demanding  the  post — Rocky  Mount.  Col.  Turnbull  sent  word  that  he 
might  come  and  take  it.  Sumter  endeavored  to  do  so,  but  was  obliged 
soon  to  retreat  with  consider.ible  loss.  Col.  Turnlnill  took  two  prisoners, 
who  had  previously  been  in  his  cam]),  drew  ammunition,  and  then  joined 
the  Rebels,  and  were  heard  to  say  when  firing,  "  take  back  your  ammu- 
nition again."     They  were  both  hanged  as  a  reward  for  their  treachery. 

Thursday,  jd.     Lay  at  Bobo's;  nothing  extra. 

Friday,  ^t/t.  Still  at  Bobo's.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  moved 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  for  ad\-antage  of  ground. 

Saturday,  ^tli.  Lay  in  the  woods  near  Bobo's.  Had  intelligence 
that  Fort  Anderson,  in  which  we  had  a  Sergeant  of  the  American  Volun- 
teers,-and  eighty  militia  men,  was  summoned  on  Sunday  the  30th  July, 
and  given  up  in  a  dastardly  manner,  without  exchanging  a  single 
shot.* 

Sunday,  6th.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Left 
the  heights  near  Bobo's,  upon  hearing  that  the  Rebels  were  collecting  in 
force  at  Ford's  Mills.  We  made  a  forced  march  of  sixteen  miles  in  order 
to  surprise  them  ;  marched  all  night  ;  got  to  our  ground  at  Jemmie's 
creek  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  7th,  where  we  heard  the 
Rebels  had  moved  seven  miles  to  Phillip's  Ford. 


*Col,  Patrick  Moore,  commanding,  t.iken  by  Col.  Shelby  and  others. 


•',    1 


APPENDIX. 


503 


Monday,  jtJi.  Clot  in  motion  at  seven  in  tlic  cvcnin.if,  and  made 
another  forced  march  for  tiiem  ;  and  fording  Jcmmic's  creek  and  the 
South  and  North  Ijranclies  of  Ty^cr  river.  Got  to  the  ground  the 
Rebels  were  encamped  on,  at  four  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  August 
eighth.  They  had  intelligence  of  our  move,  and  were  likewise  alarmed 
by  the  firing  of  a  gun  in  our  ranks;  they  sneaked  from  their  ground 
about  half  an  hour  before  we  arrived. 

Tuesday,  Sth.  Learning  that  the  Relicl  wagons  were  three  miles 
in  front  of  us  at  Cedar  Springs,  Captain  Dunlap,  with  fourteen  mounted 
men,  and  a  hundred  and  thirty  militia,  were  dispatched  to  take  the 
wagons.  He  met  three  Rebels  coming  to  reconnoitre  our  camp  ;  he  pur- 
sued, took  two  of  them — the  other  escaped,  giving  the  Rebels  the  alarm. 
In  pursuit  of  this  man,  Dunlap  and  his  ])arly  lushed  into  the  centre 
of  the  Rebel  camp,  where  they  lay  in  amijusli,  before  he  was  aware 
of  their  presence.  A  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  Dunlap  got  slightly 
wounded,  and  had  between  twenty  and  thirty  killed  and  wounded — 
Ensign  .McFarland  and  one  private  taken  prisoners.  The  Rcl^cl  loss  is 
uncertain.  A  Maj.  Smith,  Capt.  Potts,  and  two  privates,  were  left  dead 
on  the  field.  Col.  Clarke,  Johnson  [Robertson,]  and  twenty  privates 
were  seen  wounded.  We  pursued  them  five  miles  to  the  Iron. Works, 
but  were  not  able  to  overtake  them,  they  being  all  mounted.  We 
countermarched  five  miles  to  Cedar  Springs,  and  halted  to  refresh 
during  the  heat  of  the  day.  At  six  in  the  evening,  marched  and  took  a 
height  near  the  ground  the  Rebels  left. 

Wednesday,  gth.     Lay  on  the  heights  ;  nothing  extra. 

Thursday,  roth.  Sent  the  wounded  to  Musgrove's  Mills,  Enoree 
river,  to  be  attended  by  Dr.  Ross.  We  marched  about  seven  miles  to 
Culbcrtson's  plantation,  on  Fair  Forest.  Express  arrived  from  Col. 
Turnbull  at  Rocky  Mount,  with  orders  to  join  him.  By  the  express 
heard  that  Sumter  had  attacked  Hanging  Rock  the  6th  instant.  The 
North  Carolinians  were  first  attacked ;  they  gave  way.  Brown's  corps 
came  up,  but  were  obliged  to  give  way.  The  Legion  Cavalry  came  in 
the  rebels'  rear,  and  sf)on  gained  the  day.  Brown's  corjis  suffered 
much — three  officers  killed,  and  three  wounded — an  hundred  men  taken 
prisoners. 

Friday  nth.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Marched 
ten  miles  to  Maj.  Gibbs'  plantation ;  lay  all  night. 

Saturday,  I2th.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  seven  miles  to  a  Rebel  Capt.  Stripling's  plantation.  He  has 
taken  protection,  and  as  yet  has  not  broken  his  [)iomise.  A  Maj.  Ruther- 
ford* came  with  a  flag;  in  consequence  of  his  coming  in  our  rear, 
without  giving  signal  l)y  drum  or  trumpet,  was  detained  all  night,  and 
threatened  with  imprisonment. 

<'M.ij.  Rutherforil,  a  son  of  Ocn.  Rutherford,  distinguished  himself  at  Ranisour's  Mill, 
and  was  subsequently  killed  at  Eutaw  Springs. 


1  i 


li 


504 


ALLAIRE  S  DIARY. 


l\ 


Sunday,  13th.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  nine  miles  to  Tinker  creek.  At  seven  in  the  evening  got  in 
motion  and  marched  five  miles  to  Smith's  Mills,  on  Swift's  creek.  Here 
we  lay  all  night. 

Monday,  1 4tli.  Got  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
Marched  to  the  Quaker  fording  place ;  forded  Tyger  river,  continued 
our  march  to  a  Rebel  Col.  James  Lisle's  plantation.  Lisle  is  in  the 
Rebel  service — his  family  at  home. 

Tuesday,  ijt/t.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Marclied  two  miles  to  Lisle's  Ford;  forded  Broad  river — proceeded 
seven  miles  to  a  Mr.  Coleman's  in  Mobley's  settlement;  halted  during 
the  heat  of  the  day.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening ; 
marched  two  miles  to  the  camp  of  the  New  York  Volunteers,  where  we 
got  intelligence  that  Gen.  Gates  lay  within  three  miles  of  Camden,  with 
an  army  of  seven  thousand  men.  Col.  Turnbull  had  orders  the  twelfth 
to  retreat  from  Rocky  Mount,  and  act  as  he  saw  proper — to  get  to  Cam- 
den if  he  could.  Simiter  appeared  with  cannon  at  Rocky  Mount,  about 
twelve  hours  after  Col.  Turnbull  left  it,  in  order  to  make  a  second  trial 
for  the  jiost.     He  found  not  so  harsh  a  reception  as  his  first  attempt. 

JFrdnrsdiry,  i6th.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  marched  two  miles  to  Mobley's  meeting  house  for  convenience  of 
ground. 

Thursday,  lyfh.  Got  in  motion  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  six  miles  to  a  Rebel  Col.  Winn's  plantation.  Winn  is  at  James 
Island,  a  ]irisoner. 

Friday,  iSth.  Lay  at  Winn's  plantation,  waiting  news  from  Camden, 
having  spies  out  upon  every  (|uarter. 

Saturday,  igtlt.  Lay  at  Winn's  plantation.  An  express  arrived  from 
Camden  with  the  agreeable  news  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  attacking  and 
totally  defeating  Gates'  army  on  the  morning  of  the  i6th  ;  twelve  hundred 
were  killed  and  wounded,  left  on  the  field  ;  and  one  thousand  prisoners, 
eight  brass  field  pieces  taken,  being  all  the  Rebels  had  in  the  field, 
several  stand  of  colors,  all  their  ammunition  wagons,  a  hundred  and 
fifty  wagons  of  baggage,  provisions,  and  stores  of  different  kinds.  All 
this  with  the  trifling  loss  on  our  side  of  not  more  than  ten  officers  killed 
and  wounded,  and  two  or  three  hundred  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates.  We  received  orders  to  pursue  Sumter,  he  having  the  only 
remains  of  what  the  Rebels  can  call  a  corps  in  these  parts  at  present. 
At  six  o'clock  in  tlie  evening  our  wagons  were  ordered  forward  that  we 
might  pursue  Sumter  with  vigor.  At  seven  we  got  in  motion.  That 
very  moment  an  express  arrived  from  Col.  Innes',  who  was  on  his  way 
from  Ninety  Six  to  join  us,  informing  us  that  he  had  been  attacked  by 
a  body  of  Rebels  at  Musgrove's  Mills  on  Enoree  river;  that  himself,  and 
Major  Fraser  of  his  regiment,  were  wounded,  as  were  Capt.  Peter  Camp- 


APPENDIX. 


605 


bell,  Liciits.  Chew  and  Camp,  of  Col.  Allen's  regiment.  He  wished  for 
support  as  many  of  the  militia  had  left  him.  This,  to  our  great  mortifi- 
cation, altered  the  course  of  our  march.  At  eleven  at  night,  wc  got 
in  motion  ;  marched  ail  night ;  forded  Hroad  river  at  sun-rising. 

Sunday,  20II1.  Proceeded  four  miles,  and  took  up  our  ground  at 
Peter's  creek,  where  we  lay  all  day,  fatigued  with  our  night's  march,  being 
eighteen  miles.  While  wc  lay  at  Col.  Winn's,  a  Mr.  Smith  was  executed 
for  joining  the  Rebels  after  he  had  taken  protection,  and  been  allowed 
to  embody  himself  with  our  militia. 

Monday,  sjst.  Got  in  motion  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  six  miles  to  a  Rebel  Capt.  Lipham's  on  I'adget  creek.  Took 
up  our  ground  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  This  morning  was  so 
cold  that  we  were  glad  to  hover  round  large  fires  as  soon  as  wc  halted. 
About  one  o'clock  a  Mr.  Duncan  came  to  our  camp  with  tlie  agreeable 
news  that  Col.Tarleton,  with  three  companies  of  the  Light  Infantry,  and 
the  Legion  Cavalry,  fell  in  with  Sumter  about  twelve  o'clock  on  Saturday, 
the  nineteenth.*  He  found  them  all  asleep  after  the  fatigue  of  two 
nights'  rapid  retreat.  Their  horses  were  all  at  pasture.  The  first  alarm 
was  the  Light  Infantry  firing  upon  them.  Col.  Tarleton,  with  his  usual 
success,  gained  a  complete  victory  over  Gen.  Sumter;  took  two  brass 
field  pieces,  made  two  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners,  eight  hundred  horses, 
thirty  wagons,  and  retook  a  hundred  of  Brown's  men  that  were 
captured  at  Hanging  Rock.  Captain  Duncan  made  his  escape  from  the 
Rebels  during  the  engagement,  he  being  a  prisoner.  Got  in  motion  at 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening  ;  marched  ten  miles  to  Tyger  river  ;  forded 
it  at  break  of  day. 

Tuesday   morning,    22d.      Continued   our    march    four    miles   to 
Harrison's  plantation,  on  Fair  Forest,  where  we  halted. 

Wednesday,  2jd.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  six  miles  to  John  Blasingame's  plantation,  on  Sugar  creek, 
where  we  took  up  our  ground.     Col.  Ferguson  set  out  for  Camden. 

Thursday,  24th.     Still  lay  at  Blasingame's,  on  Sugar  creek. 

Friday,  25th.     Still  at  Blasingame's. 

Saturday,  26tli.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
marched  six  miles  to  John  Wofford's  plantation,  on  McClure's  creek. 

Sunday,  2jt/i.     Lay  at  McClure's  creek  ;  nothing  extra. 

Monday,  2St/i.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock,  and  marched  six  miles 
to  Culbertson's  plantation,  near  Fair  Forest  river. 

Tuesday,  2gth,  to  Thursday,  jist.  Lay  at  Culbertson's;  nothing 
extra. 

Friday,  September  1st.  Still  remained  at  Culbertson's.  Maj.  Fer- 
guson joined  us  again  from  Camden  with  the  disagreeable  news  that  we 


I 


*It  was  really  the  preceding  day,  Friday,  i8th. 


1   I  ,   ,un 


-T--1 


kS 


i\  I. 


606 


ALLAIRE'S  DL4RY. 


were  to  be  separated  from  the  army,  aiul  act  on  the  frontiers  with  the 
militia. 

Saturday,  2d.  dot  in  motion  at  cloven  o'clock  in  the  mornini^j; 
forded  Fair  Forest  river,  and  marched  ten  miles  to  the  Iron  Works,  on 
Lawson's  Fork  of  I'acolct  river.  Here  was  a  Kcliei  militia-man  that  got 
woimdcd  in  the  ri^dit  arm  at  the  skirmish  at  Cetlar  Springs,  the  eighth 
of  August.  The  hone  was  very  much  shattered.  It  was  taken  off  hy 
one  Frost,  a  blacksmith,  with  a  shoemaker's  knife  and  carpenter's  saw. 
He  stojijied  the  blood  with  the  fungus  of  the  oak,  without  taking  up  a 
blood  vessel. 

Sunday,  jii.  My  friend  Johnson  and  I  bathed  in  the  stream  at  the 
Iron  Works. 

Monday,  ^tJt.  Cot  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  ten  miles  to  Case's  creek,  where  we  halted  all  night. 

Tuesday,  ^th.  Gf)t  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and 
marched  a  mile  and  a  half  to  Pacolet  river,  and  halted.  The  fresh  was 
so  high  we  could  not  ford  the  river.  I  took  lodging,  with  my  friend 
Johnson,  who  was  very  unwell,  at  one  Coleman's,  who  is  a  very  warm 
Tory.  His  wife  and  all  her  children  have  been  stripped  of  all  their 
clothes,  bedding,  and  other  furnituie.  She  was  mother  of  five  children 
in  two  years. 

Wednesday,  6th.  Got  in  motion  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  ; 
marched  six  miles  to  Buck's  creek  ;  dined  at  one  Nelson's.  Here  was 
a  hearty  old  man,  named  William  Case,  a  hundred  and  nine  years  old. 
Pic  is  a  native  of  New  Kngland.  Talks  very  strong  ;  gives  some  faint 
description  of  New  England.  His  memory  began  to  fail  seven  years 
past ;  he  lost  his  eyesight  about  eighteen  months  past ;  is  otherwise  very 
hale  ;  walks  amazingly  spry,  and  danced  a  jig. 

Thursday,  jth.  Got  in  motion  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
crossed  Buck  creek,  and  the  division  line  of  South  and  North  Carolina; 
marched  six  miles  farther,  and  halted.  Maj.  Ferguson,  with  about  fifty 
of  the  American  Volunteers,  and  three  hundred  militia,  got  in  motion  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  marched  to  Gilbert  Town  in  order  to  sur- 
prise a  party  of  Rebels  that  we  hcaid  were  there.  Capt.  DePeyster  and 
I  remained  on  the  ground  we  took  in  the  morning,  with  the  remainder 
of  the  American  Volunteers  and  militia. 

Friday,  Sth.  Got  in  motion  at  eight  in  the  morning,  and  marched 
six  miles  to  Broad  river,  and  took  a  height  where  we  halted,  and  waited 
orders  from  Maj.  Ferguson. 

Saturday,  gth.  Remained  on  the  ground ;  received  intelligence 
from  Maj.  Ferguson  to  keep  our  post.  He  was  returning  to  keep  a  good 
lookout,  as  the  Georgians  were  coming  towards  us. 

Sunday,  loth.    Col.  Ferguson  joined  us  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

Mofiday,  nth.     Got  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  evening;  forded 


l^^w  'M' 


APPENDIX. 


607 


Broad  river  and  continued  on  our  march  icn  miles  to  one  Adair's  plan- 
tation, and  halted. 

Tiirsiliiy,  J2f/i.  Maj.  Ferguson,  with  forty  American  Volunteers  and 
one  hundred  militia,  got  in  motion  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  ftnirteen  miles  through  the  mountains  to  the  head  of  Cane  creek, 
in  liurke  County,  in  order  to  surprise  a  party  of  Rebels  \vc  heard  lay 
there.  Unfortunately  for  us,  they  had  by  some  means  got  intelligence 
of  our  coming,  in  consequence  of  which,  Mr.  McPowell,  with  three 
hundred  infamous  villains  like  himself,  thought  it  highly  necessary  to 
remove  their  cpiarters.  However,  we  were  lucky  enough  to  take  a 
different  route  from  what  they  expected,  and  met  them  on  their  way,  and 
to  appearance  one  would  have  thought  they  meant  sincerely  to  fight  us, 
as  they  drew  up  on  an  eminence  for  action.  On  our  approach  they  fired 
and  gave  way.  We  totally  routed  them,  killed  one  private,  wounded  a 
Capt.  White,  took  seventeen  prisoners,  twelve  horses,  all  their  ammu- 
nition, which  was  only  twenty  pounds  of  powder,  after  which  we 
marched  to  their  encampment,  and  found  it  abandoned  by  those  Con- 
gress heroes.  Our  loss  was  two  wounded  and  one  killed.  Among  the 
wounded  was  Capt.  Duniap,  who  received  two  slight  wounds.  Aftcrth'* 
skirmish  we  returned  to  one  Allen's  to  refresh  ourselves.  We  go  m 
motion  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  countermarched  about 
six  miles  to  a  Rebel  Mr.  Jones',  where  we  halted  all  night. 

IVciincsday,  ijth.  Got  in  motion  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing and  continued  countermarching  to  a  Rebel  Col.  Walker's  plantation 
where  we  met  Capt.  Ryerson  and  Lieut.  Fletcher  with  the  remainder 
of  the  American  Volunteers  and  militia.  Here  we  took  up  our  ground, 
very  much  fatigued  with  our  enterprise. 

Thursday,  14th.  Lay  still  at  Col.  Walker's.  The  poor,  deluded 
people  of  this  Province  begin  to  be  sensible  of  their  error,  and  come 
in  very  fast.  Maj.  Ferguson,  with  thirty  American  Volunteers,  and  three 
hundred  militia,  got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock,  and  marched  to  the  head 
of  Cane  creek,  and  halted  at  one  Wilson's. 

Friday,  ijth.  Capt.  Del'eystcr  and  I,  who  remained  at  Col. 
Walker's  with  the  remainder  of  the  American  Volunteers  and  militia, 
got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  marched  twelve  miles 
to  one  Bowman's,  near  the  head  of  Cane  creek,  and  halted.  This 
creek  is  so  amazingly  crooked  that  we  were  obliged  to  cross  it  nineteen 
times  in  marching  four  miles.  Mrs.  Bowman  is  an  exceedingly  obliging 
woman.  She  had  a  child  about  four  years  old,  who  had  smoked 
tobacco  almost  three  years.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  got  in 
motion,  and  marched  a  mile  and  a  half  to  Wilson's,  where  we  joined 
Maj.  Ferguson.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  got  in  motion,  with 
the  American  Volunteers  and  five  lumdroil  militia,  leaving  Cajjt.  Ryer- 
son and  Lieut.  Fletcher,  with  two  hundred  militia,  to  guard  the  baggage, 


III! 


508 


ALLAIRE'S  lUAKY. 


i 


I 


111 


f\ 

1 

1 

ilil 


and  marched  fifteen  miles  to  one  Jnlin  rorsylh's,  on  tlie  banks  of  the 
Catawba,  to  surprise  Col.  McDowell.  We  arrived  there  about  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning,'  of  the  i6ih.  Col.  McDowell  had  left  this  pi. ice 
the  14th.  We  countermarched  to  one  Devore's,  and  h.dled  to  refresh 
ourselves.  At  three  o'clock  got  in  motion  ;  marched  to  I'leasant  (lar- 
den  Ford,  Catawba  river;  forded  it,  and  continued  our  m.irch  to  one 
Georj;e  Cathy's  plantation,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Devore's. 
I'leasant  Garden  is  a  very  hamUonie  pi. ice.  I  was  surprised  to  see  so 
beautiful  a  tract  of  land  in  the  mountains.  This  settlement  is  composed 
of  the  most  violent  Rebels  I  ever  saw,  particularly  the  younj^  ladies, 

Siimiay,  ijtii.  Got  in  motion  and  m.ircheil  two  miles  to  Buck's 
creek,  forded  it,  and  continued  our  m  irch  two  miles  farther  to  a  Rebel 
Maj.  D.ividson's  plantation,  and  halted. 

Moiu/iiy,  iSth.  Got  in  motion,  coimtcrmarchcd  to  Buck  creek, 
forded  it,  and  proceeded  on  five  miles  to  Richey's  Ford,  on  Catawba 
river,  forded  it,  and  marched  to  a  Rebel  Alexander  Thompson's  planta- 
tion, six  miles  farther,  and  halted. 

Tuesday,  igth.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  about  eleven  miles  to  a  Rebel  Mr.  Hemphill's  plantation,  and 
halted.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  went  aljout  a  mile  and 
joined  Capt.  Ryerson  and  the  militia  imdcr  his  commanii. 

Wednesday,  20th.  Got  in  motion  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
marched  a  mile  and  a  half  to  one  Wiiite's  plantation,  where  we  joined 
M.ij.  Ferguson  again.  This  day  three  officers  belonging  to  Crugcr  and 
Allen's  regiments,  joined  us  from  Ninety  Six,  witii  titty  militia  men. 

Thursday,  2 1st,  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
marched  fourteen  miles  to  a  Rebel  Samuel  Andrew's  plantation,  and 
hailed.     On  the  march  I  saw  eight  wild  turkeys. 

Friday,  22d.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  marched 
five  miles  to  Col.  Walker's  plantation,  and  halted. 

Saturday,  2jd.  Got  in  motion  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning ; 
marched  three  miles  to  Gilbert  Town  ;  took  up  our  ground  on  a  height 
.about  half  a  mile  from  the  town.  This  town  contains  one  dwelling 
house,  one  barn,  a  blacksmith's  shop,  and  some  out-houses. 

Sunday,  24th.  I-'ivc  hundred  subjects  came  in,  also  a  number  of 
ladies.  Received  intelligence  from  Col.  Crugcr,  that  he  had  marched 
from  Ninety  Six  to  Augusta,  to  the  .issistance  of  Col.  Browne,  who  was 
besieged  by  six  hundred  Rebels,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Clarke. 
Fortunately  for  Col.  Browne,  the  Cherokee  Indians,  for  whom  he  is 
agent,  were  coming  to  Augusta  for  their  yearly  iMesents.  They  met 
the  Reiiels  just  as  they  were  going  into  the  town,  which  obliged  them 
to  fight.  The  Rebels  being  too  numerous,  and  the  Indians  unacquainted 
with  field  fighting,  were  obliged  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  to  a  fort 
on  one  flank  of  the  town,  where  Col.  Browne  had  retired  to.     He  made 


APPENDIX. 


601) 


a  very  f;allaiit  dcAmrc  for  five  days,  two  of  which  he  was  witlunit  broad 
or  water.  On  Col.  Cruger's  apjjroacli,  tlic  Rebels  moved  off  with  their 
plunder,  of  which  they  had  a  tolerable  share.  Col.  Criiger  arrived  time 
ciioiigii  to  retake  the  cannon  which  they  had  taken  from  Hrowne,  and 
ai)oiit  thirty  prisoners. 

Moiuiay,  2^th,  and  Tuesday,  26th.  Lay  at  Gilbert  Town ;  nothing 
extra. 

Wednesday,  3y//i.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  marcheil  three  miles  to  Riickor's  Mill,  and  haitctl. 

Thursday,  sSih.  Got  in  motion  at  live  o'clock  in  the  morning  ; 
marchicl  sc\en  miles  to  Mountain  cicek,  foriled  it,  altiiough  very  difllcult, 
continued  on  about  a  mile  farther  to  Twitty's  Ford  of  iJroad  river,  and 
took  up  our  ground  on  its  banks.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  got  in 
motion,  forded  the  river  ;  marched  two  miles  to  McDaniel's  Ford  of 
Green  river;  forded  it,  and  marched  two  miles  farther;  halted  on  the 
road  ;  lay  on  our  arms  till  four  o'clock  the  next  morning. 

Friday,  2()th.  We  then,  at  that  early  hour,  moved  on  three  miles  to 
one  James  Step's  plant.ition,  and  halted.  This  man  has  been  very 
unfortunate  in  his  family  ;  his  wife,  who  is  a  very  decent  woman,  was 
caught  liy  the  Indians  about  a  twelvemonth  past.  They  scalped 
and  tomahawked  her  sever.il  times  in  tlie  head,  treated  the  infant  she 
had  in  her  arms  in  a  most  inhuman  and  savage  manner.  They  mashed 
its  head  in  such  a  manner  that  its  recovery  is  truly  astonishing ;  but 
\\hat  this  ])oor,  unhappy  woman  seems  most  to  regret  is  the  loss  of  her 
oldest  son,  whom  the  savages  took,  and  she  now  remains  in  a  state  of 
uncertainty,  not  having  heard  from  him  since. 

Saturday,  joth.  Lay  at  James  Step's  with  an  expectation  of  inter- 
cepting Col.  Clarke  on  his  return  to  the  mountains;  but  he  was  prudent 
enough  to  take  another  route. 

Sunday,  Ociobcr  nt.  Got  in  motion  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  marched  twrlve  miles  to  Denard's  Ford  of  Broad  river,  and  took 
up  our  old  ground  where  we  lay  the  8th  Se|5tcmbcr. 

Monday,  2d.  Got  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  forded 
Broad  river;  marched  four  miles;  formed  in  line  of  action  and  lay  on 
our  arms.  This  night  I  had  nothing  but  the  canojiy  of  heaven  to 
cover  me. 

Tuesday,  jd.  Got  in  motion  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning;  marched 
six  miles  to  Camp's  Ford  of  Second  Broad  river,  forded  it  and  con- 
tinued on  six  miles  to  one  Armstrong's  plantation,  on  the  banks  of 
Sandy  Run.  Halted  to  refresh  ;  at  four  o'clock  got  in  motion  ;  forded 
Sandy  Run  ;  marched  seven  miles  to  I'.uffalo  creek  ;  forded  it ;  marched 
a  mile  farther  and  halted  near  one  Tate's  plantation.  John  West  came 
in  cam]),  who  is  a  hundred  and  one  years  of  age ;  is  amazingly  strong 
in  every  sense. 


t 


,.  * 


n 


i 


;  I 

'  V 

I] 


nio 


AI.LAIRF/S  niARV 


I'riday,  Otii.  (iot  in  motion  at  four  o'(  lo(  k  in  tli(>  moinin;^,  and 
marched  sixteen  miles  to  Little  l\iii;;'s  Mountain,  wheii;  we  took  up 
our  {ground. 

Safun/tty,  yf/i.  y\l)i)Ul  two  <)'(  lock  in  the  afternoon  twenty-five  litin- 
(hed  Rebels,  uiuler  tlie  ((immand  of  111 i;^. -den.  Williams,  anil  ten 
Colonels,  atta(  ki'il  r..-..  I\iaj.  i'er^'uson  liad  I'i^lit  liundred  men.  The 
action  ( ontiniied  a'.i  hour  and  five  minute:^  ;  hut  tluir  numbers  enaliled 
them  to  surround  us.  The  Noith  t'arolin.i  ici^iment  seeint;  this,  and 
numbers  beini,'  out  of  amnuinition,  gave  way,  whieii  n.itmally  threw  the 
rest  of  tl'^-  niil.tia  into  confusion.  Our  poor  little  detat:hnu'nt,  which 
cons'Gtcd  of  only  seventy  men  when  we  marched  to  the  field  of  ai  tion, 
were  all  killed  anil  woinuled  but  iwenty  ;  and  those  brave  fellows  were 
soon  crowded  as  close  as  possible  by  the  militia.  Capt.  Del'eystcr,  on 
whom  the  command  devolved,  saw  it  im|)ossible  to  form  six  men  toj^ethcr ; 
thou,L;ht  it  necessary  to  sunender  to  save  the  livi'sof  the  brave  men  who 
weie  left.  We  lost  in  this  action,  Maj.  T'erj^iisoii,  of  the  Sesenty-first 
re|;iment,  a  man  much  attached  to  his  Kini;  ami  countrv,  well  informeil 
in  the  art  of  w;  r  ;  he  was  bra\e  and  humane,  and  an  agreeable  com- 
panion ;  in  short,  he  was  universally  esteenud  in  the  ainiy,  and  1  have 
e\ery  reason  to  regret  his  uidiappy  fate.  We  had  eighteen  nien  killed 
on  the  s|)ot  ;  Cant.  Ryerson  and  thiity-two  privates  wounded  of  Maj. 
Kerguson's  detachment  ;  Lieut,  ^b(iinnis,  of  Allen's  regime  nt  of 
Skinner's  Brigaile,  killed.  Taken  prisoners.  Two  (.Captains,  four  Lieu- 
tenants, three  Knsigns,  and  one  Smgeon,  and  fifty-four  sergeants  rank 
and  lile,  including  the  mounted  mi-n  undei  the  command  of  Lieut.  Taylor. 
Of  the  militia,  one  hundred  were  kiUeil,  including  officers  ;  wounded, 
ninety  ;  taken  prisoiuMs,  about  six  hundred.  Our  baggage  all  taken,  of 
course.  Rebels  lost  15rig.-Gen.  Williams,  one  huiidred  and  thirty-five, 
including  officers,  killed  ;  W(uiiuled,  ei|ual  to  ours. 

Sii/it/tiv,  S.'//.  They  thought  it  necessary  to  move  us  sixteen  miles, 
to  one  W.ildron's  plantation,  where  they  halted. 

Mi'ihfiiy,  ()th.  Moveil  two  miles  and  a  half  to  Bullock  creek  ;  * 
forded  it,  and  halted  on  the  banks. 

'Tuesday,  loth.     Moved  twenty  miles  and  halted  in  the  woods. 

Wi-dncsday.  nth.  Moved  at  I'iglit  o'clock  iii  the  morning  ;  march'.-d 
twehe  miles  to  Col.  W.dker's,  ami  halteil, 

'IViiirsi/iiy,  ijf/i.  Those  villain  .  diviiled  our  baggage,  although  they 
lu'.d  promised  on  their  word  we  should  h:i\e  it   all. 

Friday,  rj//i.  Moved  si.\  miles  to  Hickerstaff's  jilantalion.  In  the 
evening  their  liijcrality  extendeil  so  far  as  to  seiul  five  old  shirts  to  nine 
of  us,  as  a  changj  of  linen — other  things  in  like  proportion. 

Saturday,  I  jtli .     Twebe  field  officers  were  chosen  to  try  tlie  militia 


^Apparently  Uorcti's  creek  -Bullock'scruck  w.is  some  lirteen  ur  citjlitecii  miles  ilist;int. 


APPEXn/X. 


All 


iliti:i 


prisoners— -particularly  those  who  had  tlic  most  inlliu'iici'  in  the  cmmliy. 
They  cnndenu'd  tl\irty — in  the  I'vciiinj;  they  bc},'iin  to  execute  l,ieiit.-Col. 
Mills,  Capt.  Wilson,  Capt.  C'hitwood,  and  six  others,  who  unfortunately 
fell  a  sacrilici;  to  their  infamous  moeic  jury.  Mills,  Wilson,  ami  Chit- 
wood  (hed  like  Romans — tlic  others  weri'  reprieved. 

Sinh/:t\\  ijth.  Movi'd  at  live  o'clock  in  the  morninj;;.  Marched 
all  (i.iy  tinou.i;h  the  rain — a  very  disai^reeahle  road.  We  ^dI  to  fatawha, 
and  lorded  it  at  l-.l.iiul  I'did,  about  ten  o'clock  at  ni^ht.  (Mw  m.irch 
was  thirty-two  miles.  All  the  men  were  worn  out  with  fati^nie  .ind  fast- 
ing— the  |)risoners  having  no  bread  or  meat  for  two  days  before.  We 
officers  were  allowed  to  go  lo  Col.  McDowell's,  where  we  lodgt'd  com- 
fortably. About  one  huiuhed  prisoners  made  their  escape  (ju  this 
march. 

Moiulay,  i6tli.  Mo\'ed  at  two  o'clo(  k  in  th(^  aftt-rnoou.  Man  lied 
five;  mill's;  forde<l  the  north  bi.uu  li  of  Catawba  and  John's  river; 
halted  at  a  Tory  plantation. 

7'ihSi/iiy,  lytli.  Mo\((l  at  ei^ht  o'l  lock  in  the  morning.  Maichetl 
fifteen  miles;  halted  ,it  t'apt.  Ilatl's  pl.intation.  Tliiee  jirisoneis 
altempteil  to  make  their  es(  a[)e  this  night  ;  two  succeeded — the  other 
was  shot  through  the  body. 

lVt'i/iii'S(f(iy,  /S//i.  About  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Rebels 
executed  the  man  who  unfortunately  got  wounded  in  attempting  to  m.d;e 
his  escape.  We  moveil  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  marched 
eighteen  miles  to  Moravian  creek,  ami  halted. 

'Thiirsdciy,  l()t/i.  Moved  at  eij;ht  o'clock  in  the  morning;  forded 
iMoravi.m  creek,  passed  by  Wdkes  (."ourt  I  louse,  and  marched  si.xteen 
miles  to  one  Il.igwoods'  |)l.intation,  and  haltc'd. 

I'liddY.-olli.  Moved  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning;  m.irched 
six  miles  to  Mr.  Sale's  pl.mt.ition,  anil  hailed. 

Satiiriiav,  :^rst.  Sever.d  Tory  women  brought  us  butlei',  milk, 
honey,  anil  many  other  nee  essaries  of  life.  Moved  at  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  marched  fourteen  miles  to  Mr.  Ileadpeth's  plantation, 
a  great  Tory,  who  is  at  present  with  Lord  Cornwallis.  We  lodged  at 
Mr.  I'.dward  Clinton's,  who  is  likewise  with  Lord  Cornwallis. 

Sinu/iiy,  2::ii.  Moved  at  tc'U  o'clock  in  the  mornin-.  Obt. lined 
liberty  to  go  forward  with  t^'ol.  Shell))-  to  Salem,  a  town  inhibited  by 
Mora\ians.  Rode  tc  n  miles,  and  fordid  N'aclkin  rix'er  at  Shallow  Lord. 
I'roceecled  on  fourlem  mile-',  f.iither  to  Salem.  Went  to  meetiiij;  in  the 
evening;  highly  enteit. lined  with  the  decency  of  those  people,  and  with 
their  music-.  Salem  contains  about  twc-nty  houses,  and  a  place  of  wor- 
ship. The-  people  of  this  tow  11  .liC  all  mechanics;  those  of  tlic  other 
two  \b)ia\ian  settlements  are  all  fanners,  .uul  all  st.mch  fiieiicK  lo  Cov- 
ernment. 

Monday,   2jd.     Lay  at  Salem    in    the   evening.     Two    Continental 


m 


?f      !  i 


r 


512 


ALLAIRE'S  LUARV. 


officers  slept  at  the  tavern,  on  tlicir  way  to  join  their  army,  One  Mr. 
Simons,  a  Lieutenant  of  Col.  'VVasliinj;ton's  dragoons,  was  exceeding 
polite,  pitied  our   misfortune  in  falUugiulo  the  lianils  of  llieir  militia. 

Tuesday,  24th.  Moved  at  ten  o'clock  in  tlie  morning  ;  marched  si.\ 
miles  to  the  old  town  called  Bethahara.  Hero  we  joined  the  camp 
again.  This  town  is  about  as  large  as  the  other;  but  not  so  regularly 
laid  out.  The  inhabitants  very  kind  to  all  the  prisoners.  This  night 
Dr.  Johnson  and  I  were  disturbed  by  a  Capt.  Campbell,  who  came  into 
our  room,  and  ordered  us  up  in  a  most  peremptory  manner.  He  wanted 
our  bed.  I  was  obliged  to  go  to  Col.  Campbell,  and  wake  him  to  get 
the  ruffian  turned  out  of  the  room  ;  otherwise  he  would  have  murdered 
us,  having  his  sword  drawn,  and  strutting  about  with  it  in  a  truly 
cowardly  manner. 

l/cdnesday,  2^th.  The  men  of  our  detachment,  on  Capt.  DePcy- 
ster  passing  his  word  for  their  good  behavior,  were  permitted  to  go  into 
houses  in  the  town  without  a  guard. 

Thursday,  26th,  to  Saturday,  2Sth.  Nothing  extra. 

Sunday,  2gth,  Col.  Cleveland  waited  on  Capt.  DePeyster  and  the 
rest  of  the  officers,  and  asked  us  if  wc,  with  our  men,  would  come  and 
hear  a  sermon  at  ten  o'clock.  He  marched  the  militia  prisoners  from 
their  encampment  to  the  town,  and  halted  them ;  and  sont  an  cfuccr  to 
our  quarters  to  acquaint  us  they  were  waiting  for  us.  Wc  then  ordered 
our  men  to  fall  in  ;  marched  to  the  front  of  the  prisoners ;  the  whole 
then  proceeded  on  to  a  height  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town.  Here 
we  heard  a  Presbyterian  sermon,  truly  adapted  to  their  principles  and 
the  times  ;  or,  rather,  stuffed  as  full  of  Republicanism  as  their  camp  is 
of  horse  thieves. 

Monday,  30th.  A  number  of  the  inhabitants  assembled  at  Bctha- 
bara  to  see  a  poor  Tory  prisoner  executed  for  a  crime  of  the  following 
natiu'e,  viz  :  A  Rebel  soldier  was  passing  the  guard  where  the  prisoners 
were  confined,  and  like  a  brute  addressedhimself  to  those  poor  unhappy 
people  in  this  style:  "Ah,  d — n  you,  you'll  all  be  hanged."  This 
man,  with  the  sjjirit  of  a  British  subject,  answered,  "Never  mind  that, 
it  will  be  your  turn  next."  But  Col.  Cleveland's  goodness  extended  so 
far  as  to  reprieve  him. 

Tuesday,  jot/i.  Rode  to  Salem  in  company  with  Capt.  DePeyster, 
Dr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Supple.  This  night  very  cold  ;  froze  ice  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  thick — the  first  this  fall. 

IVednesday,  No7<cmber  ^/.  My  friend,  Dr.  Johnson,  insulted  and 
beaten  by  Col.  Cleveland  attempting  to  dress  a  man  whom  they  had 
cut  on  the  march.  Col.  Aunstrong  relieved  Cleveland  in  the  afternoon, 
and  took  the  ccnnmand. 

Thursday,  2d.  Tf)ok  a  walk  with  Capt,  DePeyster,  Dr.  Johnson 
and  Mr.  Taylo''  to  Bathania,  three  miles  from  Bethabara.  This  town 
contains  about  thirty  houses  ;  it  is  regularly  laid  out. 


APPENDIX. 


513 


Friday,  jd.  Ilcnrd  by  a  countryman,  who  was  moving  his  family 
over  tlio  mountains  to  Nolachucky,  that  (jcncral  Lcshc  had  handed  at 
James  riviT,  in  Virginia. 

Satiirdtiy,  ^tlt.     Dined  at  a  country  house. 

Sunday,  ^th.  Set  off  from  Bethabara  in  company  with  Lieut.  Tay- 
lor, Lieut.  Stevenson,  and  Wilham  Gist,  a  mililia-niun,  about  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  We  marched  fifteen  miles  to  Yadkin  river ;  forded  it, 
found  it  very  disagreeable.  We  continued  on  twenty  miles  farther  to 
Mr.  Miller's  plantation,  an  exceeding  good  suljject.  Here  wc  arrived 
just  at  d.iybreak  the  next  morning. 

Monday,  6/k.  Took  up  our  ground  in  the  bushes,  about  haF  a  mile 
from  the  house.  At  ten  o'clock,  we  sent  Mr.  Gist  to  the  house  for  some 
victuals.  He  found  Mr.  Miller  at  home,  who  very  readily  gave  us  all 
the  assistance  that  lay  in  his  power.  About  two  o'clock,  he  brought 
us  some  victuals,  which  we  were  very  happy  to  see,  being  very 
hungry  after  our  fuiguing  march  the  night  before.  In  conversation, 
which  very  naturally  run  upon  the  safest  way,  guides,  etc.,  Mr.  Miller 
told  us  he  knew  a  militia  Capt.  Turner,  and  one  or  two  more  subjects, 
then  lying  in  tiie  bushes,  who  would  lie  very  happy  to  join  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  ;  and  they  were  also  excellent  guides.  On  this  we  consulted,  and 
thought  it  prudent  to  stay  all  night.  Mr.  Miller  then  fetched  us  a 
blanket,  and  immediately  set  out  to  find  those  people. 

Tuesday,  jth.  Mr.  Miller  returned  informing  us  that  one  of  those 
men  would  be  with  us  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening.  We  waited  till 
seven,  but  the  man  not  coming,  we  thought  it  prudent  to  go  without 
him.  We  set  out  about  half  after  seven  ;  marched  six  miles  to  one 
Carpenter's.  When  we  arrived  tliere,  Mr.  Carpenter  advii^ed  us  to 
remain  there  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  he  would  go  to  Mr.  Miller, 
and  send  him  again  for  the  men.  We  then  consulted,  and  thought  it 
best  to  stay  a  day  or  two — then  to  proceed  on,  without  a  guide. 

Wednesday,  Sth.  Lay  very  snug  in  the  bushes.  Aljout  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Carpenter  returned  and  told  us  Mr.  Miller  was 
gone  in  search  of  a  guide,  and  was  to  return  with  an  answer  as  soon  as 
possible.     Suffered  exceedingly  with  tiie  cold  tins  day. 

Thursday,  gth.  Heard  of  the  Rebels  following  us,  but  they  getting 
false  intelligence,  returned  again,  which  was  mucli  in  our  favor.  In  the 
course  of  the  day,  we  thought  it  would  l)e  prudent  to  get  the  best  direc- 
tions we  could,  and  proceed  on,  without  a  guide,  rather  than  remain  too 
long  in  one  place,  lest  some  of  those  people  might  be  treacherous.  We  got 
direction  from  Mr.  Cari)entcr  for  sixty  miles,  aiul  at  six  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning, set  out ;  marched  thirty  miles,  and  halted  in  the  woods  at  daybreak. 

Friday,  lolh.  Suffered  very  much  wilii  tlie  cold.  At  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening  set  out  agai  i.  This  night  saw  the  moon  in  an  eclipse,  and 
heard  several  wolves  bark.  Passed  a  Rebel  party  consisting  of  twelve 
or  four'een,  who  lay  about  twenty  yards  from  the  road  by  a  fire;  but 

31 


*i 


11 


..  i'. 


1   ; 


514 


ALLAIRE  S  DIARY. 


very  foitunatcly  for  us,  they  were  all  asleep.  We  marched  thirty  miles 
and  arrived  at  Colbert  Blair's,  just  at  daybreak. 

Saturday,  iitli.  It  bc^an  to  rain  just  after  we  got  to  Mr.  Pjlair's. 
Lucky  we  were  indeed.  This  good  man  secreted  us  in  his  fodder-house, 
and  gave  us  the  best  his  house  afforded. 

Sunday,  12th.     Remained  at  Mr.  Blair's  ;  a  rainy,  disagreeable  day. 

Monday,  ijth.  Set  out  from  this  good  man's  fodder-house,  lie 
conducted  us  about  three  miles  to  a  Mr.  F.  Rider's,  who  guided  us  seven 
miles  farther,  over  the  Brushy  Mountains,  to  Catawba  river.  Mr.  John 
Murray,  who  lived  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  put  us  over  in  a  canoe,  and 
conducted  us  three  miles  to  Mr.  Ballou's.  This  old  man  was  about  sixty 
years  o*"  age  ;  but  his  love  for  his  King  and  his  subjects  induced  him  to 
get  up,  although  very  late  at  night,  and  guided  us  seven  miles  to  a  Mr. 
Hillerbrine's.  On  the  way  the  old  man  informed  us  he  had  two  sons 
who  lay  out  in  the  woods,  who  were  anxious  to  go  to  our  army,  and  were 
also  good  guides.  He  also  told  us  of  one  Williams,  that  was  a  good 
guide,  aiiu  who  would  be  glad  to  go  with  us.  We  told  the  old  man  we 
should  be  very  hap[)y  to  have  them,  as  the  road  began  to  grow  more 
dangerous,  and  we  quite  unacquainted  with  the  way.  This  poor  old 
man  expressed  a  great  deal  of  anxiety  for  our  safety,  and  at  last  told 
us  he  would  go  the  next  day  and  endeavor  to  find  them,  and  send  them 
to  us.  We  arrived  at  Hilterbrine's  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
the  14th.  He  received  us  with  great  caution,  lest  we  should  be  treach- 
erous ;  but  when  he  found  we  were  British  officers  he  was  very  kind. 

Wednesday,  i^th.  Just  as  we  were  drinking  a  dish  of  coffee,  on  a 
rock,  after  dusk,  those  three  young  men  came  to  us  on  horseback,  which 
made  us  very  happy.  We  set  out  immediately,  and  marched  twenty 
miles  over  the  Brushy  Mountains,  where  there  was  nothing  but  Indian 
paths.  Crossed  several  small  rivers.  We  arrived  at  one  Sheppard's 
plantation,  just  at  daybreak  of  the  i6th.  This  poor  family  were  so 
completely  stripped  of  everything  they  had,  by  the  Rebels,  that  they 
could  give  us  nothing  but  a  hoe  cake,  and  some  dried  beef,  which  was 
but  a  very  indifferent  repast  for  hungry  stomachs.  At  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening  set  out ;  marched  sixteen  miles  to  Camp's  Ford  of  Second 
Broad  river  ;  forded  it,  and  continued  on  three  and  a  half  miles  farther 
to  Island  Ford  of  Main  Broad  river;  forded  it,  and  marclied  one  mile  to 
Capt.  Townsend's  plantation.  This  man  received  three  Ijalls  in  the 
action  on  King's  Mountain,  and  was  at  home  on  parole.  He  was  very 
happy  to  see  us,  and  gave  us  the  best  his  house  afforded. 

Friday,  lyt/t.  Set  out  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  ;  marched  twelve 
miles  to  a  Mr.  Morris'.  Here  we  were  told  that  a  party  of  Rebels  were 
directly  in  our  front ;  that  we  had  better  remain  there  th.>t  night,  in 
which  time  we  could  send  Mr.  Williams,  who  was  with  us,  and  well 
acquainted  with  that  neighborhood,  to  get  a  militia  Capt,  Robins,  who 


APPENDIX. 


515 


miles 


Blair's, 
r-housc, 

)lc  clay. 
;c.      He  ■ 
LIS  seven 
Ir.  John 
loe,  and 
out  sixty 
.1  him  to 
to  a  Mr. 
;\vo  sons 
md  were 
a  good 
man  we 
o\v  more 
poor  old 
last  told 
end  them 
M-ning  of 
e  trcach- 
kind. 
ffee,  on  a 
ck,  which 
d  twenty 
lit  Indian 
licppaid's 
were  so 
that  they 
hicli  was 
ck  in  the 
f  Second 
cs  farther 
ne  mile  to 
>s  in  the 
was  very 

led  twelve 

l)cls  were 

ni-ht,  in 

and  well 

)bins,  who 


lay  out  in  the  woods,  and  was  going  to  our  army  in  a  day  or  two.     This 
man  was  so  good  a  guide  that  it  induced  us  to  stay. 

Saturday,  iSt/i.     Lay  in  the  woods  ;  fared  pretty  well. 

Sunday,  igth.  Mr.  Williams  returned,  but  without  effecting  what  he 
went  after.  We  had  a  council  of  safety  ;  found  it  necessary  to  proceed 
on.  We  got  Mr.  Murray  to  guide  us  to  the  main  road  that  leads  to  the 
Iron  Works,  which  is  twelve  miles  distant.  We  set  out  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  took  by-paths,  and  got  in  the  main  road  just 
at  dusk.  We  crossed  I'acolet  river,  Lawson's  Fork,  and  Tyger  river ; 
passed  a  Rebel  guard;  marclied  thirty-seven  miles,  and  arrived  at 
James  Duncan's  plantation,  half  an  hour  before  daybreak  of  the  201)1. 
About  ten  o'clock  Mrs.  Duncan  rode  out  to  see  if  she  could  get  any 
intelligence  of  our  army,  and  of  the  Rebel  army,  that  we  might  shun 
the  latter.  Mrs.  Duncan  returned  in  less  than  an  hour,  with  tlie 
disagreeable  news  that  the  Rebel  army  was  marching  within  two 
miles  of  us,  and  were  going  to  encamp  at  Blackstock's,  about  four  miles 
from  us.  This  news  truly  discouraged  me.  About  five  o'clock  in  the 
evening  Mr.  Duncan  came  to  us  with  agreeable  news — that  Col.  T.ule- 
ton  was  in  pursuit  of  the  Rebels.  At  six  o'clock  a  Mr.  Jackson  came  to 
us,  and  informed  us  he  had  seen  Col.  Tarleton  ;  he  had  also  heard  he 
had  had  an  action  with  Sumter,  who  commanded  the  Rebels,  but  did  not 
know  the  particulars.  He  advised  us  to  go  to  his  house  and  stay  all 
night,  as  we  would  be  perfectly  safe  there,  and  the  next  morning  go  to 
Mr.  Smith's,  where  we  could  hear  the  j)articulars  of  the  action,  as  there 
were  some  of  the  Legion  wounded  there.  We  agreed  to  what  the  ni.m 
said  ;  staid  all  night  at  his  house,  where  we  were  treated  very  kindly. 

Tuesday,  3ist.  Mr.  Duncan  conducted  us  to  Mr.  Smith's,  where  we 
found  six  of  the  Legion  wounded. 

Wednesday,  23d.  Set  out  from  Archcy  Smith's  on  horseback,  which 
the  subjects  in  that  neighborhood  supplied  us  with.  They  brought  us 
on  thirteen  miles  to  one  Adair's.  Here  we  dismounted,  and  those  good 
people  returned.  We  continued  thirteen  miles  to  Williams'  Fort,  whic :h 
was  commanded  by  Col.  Kirkland,  who  received  us  very  kindly. 

Thursday,  2jd.  Set  out  from  Col.  Kirkland's,  who  was  kind  enough 
to  lend  us  horses  as  far  as  Saluda.  Left  the  horses  here  ;  crossed  in  a 
scow;  walked  a  mile  to  Col.  Mayson's  ;  dined;  got  horses  and  rode  to 
Ninety  Six.  Arrived  at  Capt.  John  Barbarie's*  quarters,  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Friday,  24tlt.     Remained  at  Ninety  Six;  nothing  extra. 

Saturday,  2jth.  Set  out  for  Charleston,  Where  I  arrived  the  29th 
of  November;  nothing  worth  notice  on  the  journey. 

*Capt.  Rnrb.irie  belonced  to  the  New  Jersey  Volunteers:  was  c.ipliircd  ,nt  St.-tten 
Island  in  1777;  donlitless  shared  in  the  sie';e  o(  Charleston,  as  he  ilid  in  tlie  sicKC  uf 
Ninety  Six,  during  whii  li  If-  was  woumlcd  ;  and  was  aiijain  wounded  at  Eutaw  Springs.  He 
received  half  jiay.  and  settled  at  St.  Idhri^^.  New  Ilrnnswick.  where  he  became  .1  Colonel 
of  the  militia,  and  a  inai^istratu.  He  died  at  Snvse,\  Vale  in  i8i3  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 
His  son,  Andrew  Barbaric,  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  of  that  Province. 


il  f 


If  ■> 


m 


•516 


BRITISH  A  ceo  UNTS. 
KING'S  MOUNTAIN  BATTLE. 

BRITISH  ACCOUNTS. 
[From  Scot's  Magazine,  January,  1781.] 


Charleston,  Dlx,  27,  1780. 

A  gentleman  lately  come  to  town  lias  favored  us  with  an  account 
of  tlic  base  treatment  the  unfortunate  officers  and  men  met  with  wlio 
surrendered  prisoners  of  war,  last  October,  to  the  Rebel  Col.  Campbell, 
in  the  action  of  King's  Mountain.  \  small  party  of  the  [British]  militia 
returning  from  foraging,  unacquainted  with  the  surrender,  happening  to 
tire  on  the  Rebels,  the  prisoners  were  immediately  threatened  with  death 
if  the  firing  should  be  repeated. 

The  morning  after  the  action,  the  prisoners  were  marched  sixteen 
miles  ;  previous  to  their  march,  orders  were  given  by  Campbell,  should 
tlicy  be  attacked,  to  fire  on  and  destroy  every  prisoner.  The  party  kept 
marching  for  two  days  without  any  kind  of  provisions.  On  the  third 
day's  march  all  the  baggage  of  the  officers  was  seized,  and  shared 
among  the  Rebel  officers. 

A  few  days  after,  a  mock  court-martial  sat  for  the  trial  of  the  militia 
prisoners;  when,  after  a  short  hearing,  thirty  gentlemen,  some  of  the 
most  respectable  characters  in  that  country,  had  sentence  of  death 
passed  on  them  ;  and  at  six  o'clock  the  same  clay  they  began  to  execute. 
Col.  Mills  and  Capt.  Chitwood,  of  North  Carolina,  Capt.  Wilson,  of 
Ninety  Six,  and  six  privates,  were  first  executed.  The  British  officers 
were  compelled  to  attend  at  the  execution  of  their  brave  but  unfortunate 
men ;  who,  with  manly  firmness,  avowed  their  loyality  in  their  last 
nioments,  and  with  their  latest  breath  expressed  their  unutterable  detes- 
tation for  the  Rebels,  and  their  base  and  infamous  proceedings.  The 
remaining  twenty-one  were  reprieved  for  a  time. 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN  BATTLE. 
[From  Rivington's  Royal  Gazette,  New  York,  February  24th,  17S1.] 


Extract  from  a  letter  from  an  officer,*  d.ated  Charleston,  January 
30th,    1 78 1. 

This  gentleman  went  from  New  York  with  a  detachment  drawn  from 
the  Provincial  Brigade,  which  was  commanded  by  the  brave  IMajor 
Patrick  Ferguson.    This  letter  gives  the  most  circumstantial  account  yet 


*This  letter  w.is  evidently  enough  written  by  Lieut.  Allaire,  as  a  comparison  with  his 
Diary  proves  :  and  the  same  test  shows  that  the  preceding  article  from  Scot's  ^Magazine, 
W.15  dictated  by  him. 


APPENDIX. 


517 


received  of  the  action  at  King's  Mountain,  in  South  Carolina,  Oct.  seventh. 

I  think  the  last  letter  I  wrote  you  was  from  Fort  Moultrie,  which  I 
left  ;v  few  days  after.  We  marched  to  a  place  called  Ninety  Six,  which 
is  about  two  hundred  miles  from  Charleston  ;  we  lay  there  ai)out  a  fort- 
night in  good  quarters,  after  which  we  proceeded  to  the  frontiers  of  South 
Carolina,  and  frequently  passed  the  line  into  North  Carolina,  and  can 
say  with  propriety,  that  there  is  not  a  regiment  or  detachment  of  his 
Majesty's  service,  that  ever  went  through  the  fatigues,  or  suffered  so 
much,  as  our  detachment. 

That  you  may  have  some  faint  idea  of  our  suffering,  I  shall  mention 
a  few  particulars.  In  the  first  place  we  were  separated  from  all  the 
army,  acting  with  the  militia ;  we  never  lay  two  nights  in  one  place, 
frequently  making  forced  marches  of  twenty  and  thirty  miles  in  one 
night;  skirmishing  very  often  ;  the  greatest  jjart  of  our  time  without  rum 
or  wheat  tlour — rum  is  a  very  essential  article,  for  in  marching  ten  miles 
we  would  often  be  obliged  to  ford  two  or  three  rivers,  which  wet  the 
men  up  to  their  waists. 

In  this  disagreeable  situation,  we  remained  till  the  seventh  of  Octo- 
ber, when  we  were  attacked  by  two  thousand  five  hundred  Reljcls,  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Williams.  Col.  Ferguson  had  under  his  com- 
mand eight  hundred  militia,  and  our  detachment,  which  at  that  time 
was  reduced  to  an  hundred  men.  The  action  commenced  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  very  severe  for  upwards  of  an  hour, 
during  which  the  Rebels  were  charged  and  drove  back  several  times, 
with  considerable  slaughter.  When  our  detachment  charged,  for  the 
first  time,  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  put  a  Rebel  Captain  to  death,  whicli  1  did 
most  effectually,  with  one  blow  of  my  sword  ;  the  fellov/  was  at  least  si.\ 
feet  high,  but  I  had  rather  the  ad\antage,  as  1  was  mounted  on  an  ele- 
gant horse,  and  he  on  foot.  But  their  numbers  enabled  them  to  sur- 
round us  and  llie  North  Carolina  regiment,  which  consisted  of  aljout 
three  hundred  men.  Seeing  this,  and  numbers  being  out  of  ammuni- 
tion, which  naturally  threw  the  rest  of  the  militia  into  confusion,  our 
gallant  little  detachment,  which  consisted  of  only  seventy  men,  exclusive 
of  twenty  who  acted  as  dragoons,  and  ten  who  drove  wagons,  etc., 
when  we  marched  to  the  field  of  action,  were  all  killed  and  wounded 
but  twenty,  and  those  brave  fellows  were  soon  crowded  into  an  heap  oy 
the  militia.  Capt.  DcPeyster,  on  whom  the  command  devolved,  seeing 
it  impossible  to  form  six  men  together,  thought  it  necessary  to  surrender, 
to  save  the  lives  of  the  brave  men  who  were  left. 

We  lost  in  this  action,  Maj.  Ferguson,  of  tlie  Seventy-first  regiment, 
a  man  strongly  attached  to  his  King  and  country,  well  informed  in  th(>  a.rt 
of  war,  brave,  humane,  and  an  agreeable  companion — in  short,  he  was 
imiversally  esteemed  in  the  army,  and  I  have  every  reason  to  regret  his 
unhappy  fate.     We  lost  eighteen  men  killed  on  the  spot — Capt.  Ryerson 


iP 


11^ 


11. 


i 


lit  I 


618 


BRITISH  A  ceo  UNTS. 


and  thirty-two  Sergeants  and  privates  wounded,  of  Maj.  Ferguson's 
detachment.  Lieutenant  M'CJinnis  of  Alien's  regiment,  Skinner's 
Ijrigade,  l<illed ;  taken  prisoners,  two  Captains,  four  Lieutenants,  three 
Ensigns,  one  Surgeon,  and  fifty-four  Sergeants  and  privates,  inchiding 
tile  wounded,  wagoners,  etc.  Tlie  militia  killed,  one  hundred,  including 
officers;  wounded,  ninety;  taken  prisoners  about  six  hundred;  our 
baggage  all  taken,  of  course. 

The  Rebels  lost  Brig.-Gen.  Williams,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five, 
including  officers,  killed  ;  wounded  nearly  ecjual  to  ours.  The  morning 
after  the  action  we  were  marched  sixteen  miles,  previous  to  which  orders 
were  given  by  the  Rebel  Col.  Campbell  (whom  the  command  devolved 
on)  that  slioiild  they  be  attackt-d  on  their  march,  they  were  to  fire  on, 
and  destroy  their  prisoners.  The  party  was  kept  marching  two  days 
without  any  kind  of  provisions.  The  officers'  baggage,  on  the  third 
day's  march,  was  all  divided  among  the  Rebel  officers. 

Shortly  after  we  were  marched  to  Bickerstaff's  settlement,  where  we 
arrived  on  the  thirteenth.  On  the  fourteenth,  a  court  martial,  composed 
of  twelve  field  officers,  was  held  for  the  trial  of  the  militia  prisoners  ; 
when,  after  a  short  hearing,  they  condemned  thirty  of  the  most  principal 
and  respectable  characters,  whom  they  considered  to  be  most  inimical 
to  them,  to  be  executed  ;  and,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  same 
day,  executed  Col.  Mills,  Capt.  Chitwood,  Capt.  Wilson,  and  six  pri- 
vates ;  obliging  every  one  of  their  officers  to  attend  at  the  death  of  those 
brave,  but  unfortunate  Loyalists,  who  all,  with  their  last  breath  and 
blood,  held  the  Rebels  and  their  cause  as  infamous  and  base,  and  as 
they  were  turning  off,  extolled  their  King  and  the  British  Government. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth.  Col.  Campbell  had  intelligence  that 
Col.  Tarleton  was  approaching  him,  when  he  gave  orders  to  his  men, 
that  should  Col.  Tarleton  come  up  with  them,  they  were  immediately  to 
fire  on  Capt.  DePeyster  and  his  officers,  who  were  in  the  front,  and 
then  a  second  volley  on  the  men.  During  this  day's  march  the  men 
were  obliged  to  give  thirty-five  Continental  dollars  for  a  single  ear  of 
Indian  corn,  and  forty  for  a  drink  of  water,  they  not  being  allowed  to 
drink  when  fouling  a  river  ;  in  short,  the  whole  of  the  Rebels'  conduct 
from  the  surrender  of  the  party  into  their  hands  is  incredible  to  relate. 
Several  of  the  militia  that  were  worn  out  with  fatigue,  and  not  being 
able  to  keep  uj),  were  cut  down,  and  trodden  to  death  in  the  mire. 

After  the  party  arrived  at  ^Toravian  Town,  in  North  Carolina,  we 
officers  were  ordered  in  different  houses.  Dr.  Johnson  (who  lived  with 
me)  and  myself  were  turned  out  of  our  bed  at  an  unseasonable  hour 
of  the  night,  and  threatened  with  immediate  death  if  we  did  not  make 
room  for  some  of  Campbell's  officers  ;  Dr.  Johnson  was,  after  this, 
knocked  down,  and  treated  in  the  basest  manner,  for  endeavoring  to 
dress  a  man  whom  they  had  cut  on  the  march.     The  Rebel  officers 


APPENDIX. 


519 


would  often  go  in  amongst  the  prisoners,  draw  their  swords,  cut  down 
and  wound  tiiose  wliom  their  wicked  and  savage  minils  jjrompted. 

This  is  a  specimen  of  Rebel  lenity — you  may  re|)ort  it  without  the 
least  equivocation,  for  upon  the  word  and  honor  of  a  gentleman,  this 
description  is  not  equal  to  their  barbarity.  This  kind  of  treatment 
made  our  time  pass  away  very  disagreeably.  After  we  were  in  Moravian 
Town  about  a  fortnight,  we  were  told  we  could  not  get  paroles  to  return 
within  the  British  lines  ;  neither  were  we  to  have  any  till  we  were 
moved  over  the  mountains  in  the  back  parts  of  Virginia,  where  we  were 
to  live  on  hoc  cake  and  milk  ;  in  consequence  of  this,  Capt.  Taylor, 
Lieut.  Stevenson  and  myself,  chose  rather  to  trust  the  hand  of  fate, 
and  agreeable  to  our  inclinations,  set  out  from  Moravian  Town  the  fifth 
of  November,  and  arrived  at  the  British  lines  the  twentieth.  From  this 
town  to  Ninety  Six,  which  was  the  first  post  we  arrived  at,  is  three 
hundred  miles  ;  and  from  Ninety  Six  to  Charleston,  two  hundred,  so 
that  my  route  was  live  hundred  miles.  The  fatigues  of  this  jaunt  I 
shall  omit  till  I  sec  you,  although  I  suffered  exceedingly  ;  but  thank  God 
am  now  in  Charleston  in  good  quarters." 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN. 

[From  Rivington's  New  York  Royal  Gazette,  March  2ist,  1781.     Copied 

into  a  London  paper,  of  April,  .')Oth,  and  into  the  Charleston 

Royal  Gazette  of  October  27th  following.] 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  an  officer  taken  prisoner  at  King's  Mountain, 
dated  Charleston,  S.  C,  March  4th,  1781  : 

Capt.  DePeystcr  and  I*  were  permitted  to  come  within  the  lines 
upon  paroles,  and  were  made  exceedingly  happy  on  our  arrival  in  town, 
being  informed  we  were  exchanged.  After  our  misfortune  in  losing 
Maj.  Ferguson,  the  command  devolved  on  Capt.  DeFeyster;  he  behaved 
like  a  brave,  good  officer,  and  disputed  the  ground  as  long  as  it  was 
possible  to  defend  it  against  four  times  our  number.  The  action  lasted 
an  hour  and  five  minutes,  very  hot  indeed.  I  must  confess  I  was 
pleased,  though  a  prisoner,  to  see  their  loss  superior  to  ours.  It  is  an 
agreeable  satisfaction  to  think,  that  although  they  got  the  better  of  us, 
d — n  'em,  we  made  them  pay  for  it.  I  can  assure  you,  sir,  we  deserved 
success,  although  it  was  not  in  our  power  to  command  it. 


*As  Lieuts.  Allaire,  Taylor,  and  Stevenson  had  previously  escaped  from  Beth.-ibara, 
and  arrived  in  Charleston,  the  only  oflicers  left  with  Capt.  DePeystcr  were  Capt.  Kycrson 
and  Lieut  Fletcher.  It  was  one  of  these — most  likely  Capt.  Ryerson— who  wrote  this 
letter. 


i  . 


I 


520  PURSUIT—  VICTOR  Y. 

COL.  WILLIAMS  TO  GEN.  GATES. 


BuRKK  County,  Oct.  2d,  i^So. 

Sir:  I  am  nt  present  about  seventy  miles  from  SiUisbuiy,  in  the 
fork  of  the  Catawba,  with  about  four  liundreil  and  tifty  liorsemen,  in 
pursuit  of  Col.  I*'crguson.  On  my  crossin<j  the  Catawba  river.  I  dis- 
patched to  different  cjuarters  for  intelligence,  and  this  evening  I  was 
f.ivored  with  this  news,  which  you  may  depend  on :  That  Col.  Clarke, 
of  the  State  of  Georgia,  with  one  hundred  ritlcmen,  forced  his  way  from 
South  Carolina  to  Georgia.  On  his  route  thither,  being  joined  by  seven 
hundred  men,  he  proceeded  to  the  town  of  Augusta,  and  has  taken  it 
with  a  large  quantity  of  goods  ;  but  not  finding  it  prudent  to  continue 
there,  he  has  retreated  to  the  upper  parts  of  South  Carolina,  in  Ninety 
Six  district,  and  made  a  stand  with  eight  hundred  brave  men. 

This  moment  another  of  my  expresses  is  arrived  from  Cols.  Mc- 
UowcU  and  Shelby  ;  they  were  on  their  march,  near  Burke  Court  House, 
with  fifteen  hundred  brave  mountain  men,  and  Col.  Cleveland  was  within 
ten  miles  of  them  with  eight  huiulrcd  men,  and  was  to  form  a  junction 
with  them  this  day.  I  expect  to  join  tlicm  to-morrow,  in  pursuit  of  Col. 
Ferguson,  and  underthc  direction  of  heaven,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  render 
your  honor  a  good  account  of  him  in  a  few  days. 

I  am,  &c., 

Maj.-Gen.  Gates.  JAMES  WILLIAMS. 


GEN.  W.  L.  DAVIDSON  TO  GEN.  SUMNER. 


Camp,  Rocky  River,  Oct.  lotk,  lySo. 

Sir:  I  have  the  pleasure  of  sending  you  very  agreeable  intelligence 
from  the  West.  Ferguson,  the  great  partisan,  has  miscarried.  This  we 
are  assured  of  by  Mr.  Tate,  Brigade  Major  in  Gen.  Sumter's  late  com- 
mand. The  particulars  from  that  gentleman's  mouth  stand  thus  :  That 
Cols.  Campbell,  Cleveland,  Shelby,  Sevier,  Williams,  Brandon,  Lacey, 
etc.,  formed  a  conjunct  body  near  Gilbert  Town,  consisting  of  three 
thousand.  From  this  body  were  selected  sixteen  hundred  good  horse, 
who  immediately  went  in  pursuit  of  Col.  Ferguson,  who  was  making 
his  way  to  Charlotte.  Our  people  overtook  him  well  posted  on  King's 
Mountain,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  seventh  inst.,  at  four  o'clock,  began 
the  attack,  which  continued  forty-seven  minutes.  Col.  Ferguson  fell  in  the 
action,  besides  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  his  men ;  eight  hundred  and 
ten  were  made  prisoners,  including  the  British,  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
prisoners  arc  wounded.  Fifteen  himdred  stand  of  arms  fell  into  our 
hands.  Col.  Ferguson  had  about  fourteen  hundred  men.  Our  people 
surrounded  them,  and  the  enemy  surrendered. 


I 


APPENDIX. 


621 


"We  lost  about  twenty  men,  amnn;,'  whom  is  Maj.  Clironicle,  of 
Lincoln  County  ;  Col.  Williams  is  mortally  wounded.  Tlic  number  of 
our  wounded  cannot  be  ascertained.  This  blow  will  certainly  effect  the 
British  very  considerably.  The  Brigade  Major  who  gives  this,  was 
in  the  action.     The  above  is  true.     I  give  you  joy  upon  the  occasion." 

In  forwarding  the  above  to  Gen,  Gates,  Gen.  Sumner  wrote  from 
Yadkin  Ford,  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  October  roth:  "With 
great  satisfaction  I  inform  you  of  the  defeat  of  M.ij.  Ferguson,  four 
o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  The  particulars  I  inclobc  you  as  I 
received  them  a  few  minutes  ago." 


II 


GEN.  GATES  TO  GOV.  JEFFERSON. 


IIii.LSiiOKO,  Oct.  I2ih,  lySo. 
Sir:  This  instant  I  received  the  great  and  glorious  news  contained 
in  the  enclosed  letter  from  IJrig.-Gen.  Davidson  to  Gen.  Sumner,  who 
directly  dispatched  it  to  me  by  express.  We  are  now  more  than  even 
with  the  enemy.  The  moment  the  supplies  for  the  troops  arrive  from 
Taylor's  Ferry,  I  shall  proceed  with  the  whole  to  the  Yadkin.  Gen. 
Smallwood  and  Col.  Morgan  are  on  their  way  to  that  post ;  the  latter, 
with  the  Light  Infantry,  was  yesterday  advanced  eighteen  miles  beyond 
Guilford  Court  House ;  the  former,  with  the  cavalry,  lay  last  night 
thirteen  miles  on  this  side  that  place.  I  desire  your  Excellency  will 
dispatch  copies  of  all  the  letters  I  now  send  to  the  President  of  Congress. 


GEN.  GATES'  LETTER  OF  THANKS  FOR  KING'S 
MOUNTAIN  VICTORY. 


HiLLsnouo,  Oct.  1 3th,  lySo. 
To  the  officers  commanding  in  the  late  defeat  of  Maj.  Ferguson: 

Sirs:  I  received,  this  morning  early,  the  very  agreeable  account  of 
your  victory  over  Maj.  Ferguson.  It  gave  me,  and  every  friend  to 
liberty,  and  the  LInited  States,  infinite  satisfaction. 

I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  and  the  brave  officers  and  soldiers  under 
your  command,  for  your  and  their  glorious  behavior  in  that  action.  The 
records  of  the  war  will  transmit  your  names  and  theirs  to  posterity,  with 
the  highest  honor  and  applause.  I  desire  you  will  acquaint  them  with 
the  sense  I  entertain  of  the  great  service  they  have  done  their  country. 
I  have,  this  morning,  by  a  special  messenger,  transmitted  intelligence 
of  it  to  Congress. 


■ 


w 


\  ■  I 


''y. 


w 


m 


I 


622 


OFF  I  CI. 1 1.  RFPOR  T. 


I  am  now  only  anxious  about  the  disposal  of  the  prisoners,  as  they 
must  be  ready  to  use  in  excbanj^c  for  our  valuable  citizens  in  tlie  enemy's 
hands.  SuMid  them  under  jjroper  ^aiards  to  I'incast'e  Court  House,  Vir- 
ginia. I  will  desire  the  Colonel  of  that  County  to  have  a  strong  palisade, 
eighteen  feet  high  out  of  tlu"  ground,  instantly  set  up,  within  which  log 
huts  may  be  built  to  cover  them.  The  guard  must  Ije  without,  and  the 
loop-holes  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  Provisions,  etc.,  shall  be  ordered 
to  be  provided  for  them. 


OFFICIAL  REPORT. 

[From  the  Virginia  Gazette,  Nov.   i8th,  and  Massachusetts  Spy, 

Nov.  30th,   1780.] 


A  state  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Western  Army,  from  the  2^th  of  Sep- 
tember, ijSo,  to  the  reduction  of  Major  Ferguson,  and 
the  army  under  his  command. 


On  receiving  intelligence  that  Major  Ferguson  had  advanced  as  high 
up  as  Ciilbert  Town,  in  Rutherford  County,  and  threatened  to  cross  the 
mountains  to  the  western  waters.  Col.  William  Compbell,  with  four 
hundred  men  from  Washington  County,  Virginia,  Col.  Isaac  Shelby, 
with  two  hundred  and  forty  from  Sullivan  County  of  North  Carolina,  and 
Lieut. -Col.  John  Sevier,  with  two  hundred  and  forty  men,  of  Washing- 
ion  County,  assembled  at  Watauga,  on  the  25th  of  September,  where 
they  were  joined  by  Col.  Charles  McDowell,  with  one  hundred  and 
sixty  men  from  the  Counties  of  Hurke  and  Rutherford,  who  had  tied 
before  the  enemy  to  the  western  waters. 

We  began  our  march  on  the  26th,  and  on  the  30th  we  were  joined  by 
Col.  Cleveland,  on  the  Catawba  river,  with  three  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
from  the  Counties  of  Wilkes  and  Surry.  No  one  officer  having  properly 
a  right  to  command  in  chief,  on  the  1st  of  October,  we  dispatched  an 
express  to  Maj.  Gen.  Gates,  informing  him  of  our  situation,  and  request- 
ing him  to  send  a  general  officer  to  take  the  command  of  the  whole.  In 
the  meantime  Col.  Campbell  was  chosen  to  act  as  commandant  till  such 
general  officer  should  arrive.  We  marched  to  the  Cowpens,  on  Broad 
river,  in  South  Carolina,  where  we  were  joined  by  Col.  James  Williams, 
with  four  hundred  men,  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  October,  who  in- 
formed us,  that  the  enemy  lay  encamped  somewhere  near  the  Cherokee 
Ford,  of  Broad  river,  about  thirty  miles  distant  from  us. 

By  a  council  of  the  principal  officers,  it  was  then  thought  advisable  to 
pursue  the  enemy  that  night  with  nine  hundred  of  the  best  horsemen, 
and  leave  the  weak  horses  and  footmen  to  follow  as  fast  as  possible.  We 


APPENDIX. 


528 


{  V 


began  our  iu;irch  with  nine  hundred  of  the  best  men,  about  eight  o'clock 
the  same  evening ;  and,  marching  all  night,  came  up  with  the  enemy 
about  three  o'clock  i*.  M.  of  the  7th,  who  lay  encamped  on  tlic  top  of 
King's  Mountain,  twelve  miles  north  of  the  Cherokee  l'"ord,  in  the 
confidence  that  they  could  not  be  forced  from  so  advantageous  a  post. 
Previous  to  .the  attack,  on  the  march,  t!ic  following  disposition  was 
made :  Col.  Shelby's  regiment  formed  a  column  in  the  center,  on  the 
left ;  Col,  Campbell's  regiment,  another  on  the  right ;  with  part  of  Col. 
Cleveland's  regiment,  headed  in  front  by  Major  Winston,  and  Col. 
Sevier's  regiment,  formed  a  large  column  on  the  right  wing.  The  other 
l)art  of  Cleveland's  regiment,  headed  by  Col.  Cleveland  himself,  and 
Col.  Williams'  regiment,  composed  the  left  wing.  In  this  order  we 
advanced,  and  got  ^vithin  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  enemy  before  we 
were  discovered. 

Col.  Shelby's  and  Col.  Campbell's  regiments  began  the  attack,  and 
kept  uj)  a  fire  on  the  enemy,  while  the  right  and  left  wings  were  advanc- 
ing to  surround  them,  which  was  done  in  about  five  minutes,  and  tlic 
fire  became  general  all  annuul.  The  engagement  lasted  an  hour  and 
five  minutes,  the  greater  part  of  which  time,  a  heavy  and  incessant  fire 
was  kept  up  on  both  sides.  Our  men  in  some  parts,  where  the  regulars 
fot"'ht,  were  obliged  to  give  way  a  small  distance,  two  or  three  times; 
but  rallied  and  returned  with  additional  ardor  to  the  att.ick.  The  troops 
upon  the  right  having  gained  the  summit  of  the  eminence,  obliged  the 
enemy  to  retreat  along  the  top  of  the  ridge  to  where  Col.  Cleveland 
commanded,  and  were  there  stopped  by  his  brave  men.  A  flag  was 
immediately  hoisted  by  Capt.  DePeyster,  the  commanding  officer 
(Maj.  Ferguson  having  been  killed  a  little  before),  for  a  surrender.  Our 
fire  immediately  ceased,  and  the  enemy  laid  down  their  arms,  the 
greatest  part  of  them  charged,  and  surrendered  the. ..selves  to  us  pris- 
oners at  discretion. 

It  appears  from  their  own  provision  returns  for  that  day,  found  in  their 
camp,  that  their  whole  force  consistetl  of  eleven  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  men  ;  out  of  which  they  sustained  the  following  loss :  Of  the  regulars, 
one  Major,  one  Captain,  two  Sergeants,  and  fifteen  privates  killed  ; 
thirty-five  privates  wounded,  left  on  the  ground,  not  able  to  march  ;  two 
Captains,  four  Lieutenants,  three  Ensigns,  one  Surgeon,  five  Sergeants, 
three  Ccjrporals,  one  Drummer,  and  forty-nine  privates  taken  prisoners. 
Loss  of  the  Tories — two  Colonels,  three  Captains,  and  two  hundred  and 
one  privates  killed ;  one  Major,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
privates  wounded,  and  left  on  the  ground,  not  able  to  march ;  one 
Colonel,  twelve  Captains,  eleven  Lieutenants,  two  Ensigns,  one  Ouarter- 
Master,  one  Adjutant,  two  Commissaries,  eighteen  Sergeants,  and  six 
hundred  privates  taken  prisoners.  Total  loss  of  the  enemy,  eleven 
hundred  and  five  men  at  King's  Mountain. 


'  <1! 


r   r.' 


till 


Ijlffij 
jili  I 


i. 


524 


siiKLii  \  "s  A  a  'orxrs. 


Given  under  onr  hands  at  cani[), 

WILLIAM  CAMl'HELL, 
LSAAC  SIIKLHY, 
HKNJ.  CLKVKLANl). 
The  losses  on  our  siilc  were — one  Colonel,  one  Major,  one  Captain, 
two  Lieutenants,  Kour  luisij;ns,  nineteen  privates  killeil— total,  twenty- 
eif^ht  killed  ;  one  Major,  three  Captains,  three  Lieutenants,  and  iitty-live 
privates  wouniled — total,  sixty-two  wounded. 
I'uhlishcil  by  order  of  Congress, 

CHARLI'.S  THOMSON,  SKCur.TAUV. 


COL.  ISAAC  SHELBY  TO  lllS  KAT1I!;R,  C.I'.N.  KVAN  SHELBY. 
I  From  the  Virginia  dx^tiL-,  November  4th,  1780.] 


I  have  lierewith  the  |)leasinc  to  acciuaint  you,  that  on  Salincl  ly,  the 
7th  inst.,  in  tlie  aOernoon,  we  came  uj)  with  Fer^aison  and  his  crew,  who 
lay  enc.imped  on  the  lop  of  Kinjj's  Moun.ain.  The  day  was  wd,  and 
that  I'lovidence  who  always  rules  and  };ovcrns  all  things  for  the  best,  so 
ordered  it  th.il  we  were  close  around  them  before  we  were  discovered, 
and  formed  in  such  |)osilion,  so  as  to  (i'e  on  tiiem  nearly  about  the  same 
tinu',  tii()U;;h  tliey  heard  us  in  time  to  form,  and  stood  ready.  Tile  battle 
continueil  warm  for  an  hour;  the  enemy  finding  the  iselves  so  emljar- 
rassed  on  ail  sides,  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  to  us  at  discretion. 

They  had  taken  post  at  that  place  witii  the  confuience  that  no  force 
couhl  rout  them  ;  the  mountain  was  hij^h,  and  exceedinj^ly  steej),  so 
that  tlieir  situation  ^jave  them  greatly  the  advantaj^e  ;  indeed,  it  was 
almost  c<pial  to  storming;  a  battery.  In  most  places  we  could  not  see 
them  till  we  were  within  twenty  yards  of  them.  They  re|)clled  us  three 
times  with  charged  bayonets  ;  liut  being  determined  to  coiu|uer  or  die, 
we  came  \\\i  a  fourtii  time,  and  taiily  got  |)osscssion  of  the  toj)  of  the 
eminence.  Our  loss  I  iia\e  not  exactly  coliecti'd,  as  the  camp  has  been 
in  such  disorder  ;  but  believe  the  killed  to  be  about  thirty-live  men,  and 
between  tiity  and  sixty  wounded. 

A  list  of  the  kilK  1,  wounded,  and  prisoners  of  the  British  :  Killed, 
Maj.  Ferguson,  one  Ca|)tain,  two  Surgeons,  and  twenty-six  privates. 
Wounded,  one  Lieutenant,  and  twenty-seven  privates.  I'riso'.crs,  one 
Captain,  five  Lieutenants,  one  Surgeon,  and  fifty  priv.ites. 

Tories  killed  ;  Two  Colonels,  two  Captains,  and  one  hundred  and 
Iwcnfy-five  jjiivales.  Wounded,  one  hundred  and  twenty-live.  I'lison- 
ei  I,  one  Colonel,  one  Major,  twelve  Captains,  eleven  Lieutenants,  two 
i-'.nsigiis,  two  .'\djntaiUs,  one  t'ommissary,  one  (hiarter-Master,  eighteen 
Sergeants,  and  six  hundred  privates.     Total,  tne  thousand  and  sixteen  ; 


APPENDIX. 


625 


and   seventeen    baggage   wagons,  ami    twelve  liundied  st;nul  uf  arms 
taken. 

Our  loss  of  killed  and  wonnded  :  Col.  Williams,  of  South  Carolina, 
Capt.  Kdniondson,  anil  live  Lieutenants,  of  Virginia,  and  Iwenty-tlireo 
privates  of  the  different  Stales.  Wounded  fifty-four  of  the  different 
States.  • 


COL.  ISAAC  SHELBY  TO  COL.  ARTHUR  CAMPHELL. 
[Erom  the  Virginia  Aii^us,  0(  tober  _'6th,  iSio.  I 


NouTii  Carolina,  i)ct.  loih,  i-;So. 

I  have  iicrcwith  the  honor  to  aeipiaint  you,  lli.\t  on  Saturdav,  th"  yih 
insl.,  in  the  afternoon,  after  a  fon  ed  ni.in  h  of  forty-five  miles  on  that 
day  and  the  ni^hl  before,  a  detaelunei  t  from  our  little  army  of  mountain 
men,  n'i  about  nine  hundred,  under  eommand  of  Col.  William  Camp- 
bell, came  up  with  Col.  Eerguson.  who  lay  en(:aiui)ed  oa  King's 
Mountain. 

The  forenoon  of  the  day  was  wet,  but  we  were  fortunate  enoi!.;h  to 
come  on  him  undiscovered,  and  took  his  pickets.  We  were  non  ormcd 
in  such  order  as  to  attack  the  enemy  on  all  (Hiarlers.  The  Washington 
and  Sullivan  regiments  began  tl.-  alt.uk  on  the  fiont  and  left  (lank  the 
North  Carolina  regiments,  under  Cms.  Williams,  Sevier,  and  Clev.'laud, 
attacked  the  rear,  and  the  other  (lank;  The  (Irinj;  in  about  (ifteen 
minutes,  became  general,  and  was  kept  up  with  fury  or.  both  sides  (or 
near  an  hour. 

On  the  lust  onset,  the  Washington  militia  a»'cmi)ted  rnjiidly  to 
ascend  the  mountain  ;  but  were  met  by  tiie  Ih'cisI  regulars  with  (ixed 
bayonets,  and  forced  to  retreat.  They  were  soon  rallied  by  their  gall.mt 
comniiindcr  and  some  of  his  .active  ofti.crs,  .ind,  by  a  constant  and  well- 
(lircM  ted  (ire  of  our  rides,  we  drove  them  b;ick,  in  our  turn,  and  re;iched 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  where  tli(>  enemy,  being  ( losi'ly  surrounded, 
surrendered  |ai.soners  at  discretion.  Their  commander.  Col.  I'"erguson, 
attempted,  a  little  before  the  close  of  the  ac  ti(U),  to  m;ike  his  es(  a])e  on 
horseback,  but  was  intercepted  by  a  few  rillemen  of  the  Sullivan  regi- 
ment, and  fell  de.id  when  forcing  his  way. 

The  |>osl  taken  by  the  enemy,  gave  them  confidence  (hat  any  force 
the  Americans  could  bring  against  them,  could  not  defeat  them.  Trulv 
the  situ.ition  of  the  ground  gave  them  greatly  the  advantage,  as  the 
mount, lin  was  high,  and  exceedingly  steep  in  front,  and  interspersed 
.along  die  top  with  crag;;y  cliffs  of  rucks;  in  short,  it  was  almost  e(|ual 
to  storming  regular  works. 


im 


I! 


Ft' 


526 


CAMPBELL'S  ACCOUNT. 


The  enclosed*  list  contains  an  account  of  the  loss  of  the  enemy. 
Ours  is  small  as  to  numbers,  being  about  thirly  killed,  and  something 
over  fifty  wounded.  Among  the  former  are  some  brave  men  of  our  best 
officers,  whose  services  their  countrymen  ought  long  to  remember  with 


gratitude. 

t 


COL.   *VM.  CAMPBELL  TO  COL.  ARTHUR  CAMPBELL. 


l»!f, 


Wilkes  County,  Camp  on  Brier  Creek,  Oct.  sot/t,  lySo. 

Dear  Sir:  Ferguson  and  his  party  are  no  more  in  circum^  ices  to 
injure  the  citiiiens  of  America.  We  came  up  with  him  in  Craven 
County,  South  Carolina,  posted  on  a  height,  called  King's  Mountain, 
about  twelve  miles  north  of  the  Cherokee  Ford  of  Broad  river,  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  7th  inst.,  we  having  marched  the 
whole  night  before. 

Col.  Shelby's  regiment  and  mine  began  the  attack,  and  sustained  the 
whole  fire  of  the  enemy  for  al:)out  ten  minutes,  while  the  other  troops 
were  forming  around  the  height  upon  which  the  enemy  were  posted. 
Tiic  firing  then  became  general,  ant'  as  heavy  as  you  can  conceive  for 
the  number  of  men.  The  advantageous  situation  of  the  enemy,  being 
the  top  of  a  steep  ridge,  obliged  ustr,  expose  ourselves  cxccedmgly  ;  and 
the  dislodging  of  them  was  almost  equal  to  driving  men  from  strong 
breast-works  ;  though  in  the  end  we  gained  the  point  of  the  ridge,  where 
my  regiment  fought,  and  drove  them  along  the  summit  of  it  nearly  to  the 
other  end,  where  Col.  Cleveland  and  his  countrymen  were.  They  were 
driven  into  a  huddle,  and  the  greatest  confusion  ;  the  flag  for  a  surrender 
was  immediately  hoisted,  and  as  soon  as  our  troo|)s  could  be  notified  of 
it,  the  firing  ceased,  and  the  survivors  surrendered  themselves  prisoners 
at  discretion. 

We  fought  an  hour  and  five  minutes,  in  which  time  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  of  the  enemy  were  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
wounded ;  the  rest,  making  about  seven  hundred  regulars  and  Tories, 
were  taken  prisoners.  Ferguson  was  killed  near  the  close  of  the  action. 
The  virtory  was  complete  to  a  wish  ;  and  I  think  it  was  won  by  about 
ceven  hundred  men,  who  fought  l)ravcly.  I  have  lost  several  of  my 
brave  friends,  whose  death  I  much  lament.  Maj.  Edmondson  will  give 
you  their  names,  though  I  must  myself  mention  Capt.  Edmondson,  his 
two  brothers,  and  Lieut.  Rowen.  My  regiment  has  suffered  more  than 
any  other  in  the  action.  Our  loss  in  the  field  was,  altogether,  about 
thirty  killed,  and  sixty  wounded.  I  must  proceed  on  with  the  prisoners 
until  I  can  in  some  way  dispose  of  them.  Probably  I  may  go  on  to 
Richmond,  in  Virginia 

^  Not  given,  but  iloulitless  the  same  as  in  the  Ifflter  to  Gen.  Evan  Shelby. 


APPENDIX, 
WASHINGTON'S  GENERAL  ORDER. 


627 


Head-quaktkks,  Totoway,  Oct,  syth,  i-So. 

The  General  has  the  pleasure  to  coiigratulaie  the  army  on  an  im- 
portant advantage  lately  obtained  in  North  Carolina,  over  a  corps 
of  fourteen  iiundred  men,  British  troops  and  new  levies,  commanded  by 
Col.  Ferguson. 

Tlie  militia  of  the  nci;jhboring  Country,  under  Cols.  Williams,  Shelby, 
and  others,  having  assembled  to  the  number  of  about  three  thousand 
men,  a  detachment  of  sixteen  hundred  was  sent  on  horseback  to  fall  in 
with  Ferguson's  party,  on  its  march  to  Charlotte.  They  came  up  with  the 
enemy  at  a  place  called  King's  Moimtain,  advantageously  posted,  and 
gave  him  a  total  defeat,  in  which  Col.  Ferguson,  and  a  hundred  and  fifty 
of  his  men  were  killed,  eight  hundred  made  prisoners,  and  fifteen  hundred 
stand  of  arms  taken.  On  our  part,  the  loss  was  inconsiderable.  We  have 
only  to  regret  that  the  brave  Col.  Williams  is  mortally  wounded. 

These  advantages  will,  in  all  probability,  have  a  very  hapjiy 
influence  on  o|)ertions  in  that  quarter,  and  are  a  proof  of  the  spirit  and 
resources  of  the  country.* 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN— A  FRAGMENT. 
By  Col   Arthur  Campbell. 


Soon  after  the  defeat  of  the  American  army  under  Gen.  Gates,  the 
British  commanl-r  in  South  Carolina  made  arrangements  to  invade 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  With  this  view,  he  organiiied  a  corps  of 
the  upland  Tories,  mostly  riflemen,  and  attached  to  them  two  com- 
panies of  his  regular  troops,  giving  the  command  of  the  whole  to  M.aj. 
Patrick  Ferguson,  of  the  Seventy-first  regiment,  an  intelligent  officer, 
and  well  calculated  for  a  separate  command.  The  corps  on  the  first 
outset,  amou..  cd  to  two  thousand  men.  Orders  were  also  sent  to  the 
British  Indian  agents,  to  excite  the  Indians  to  invade  the  American  set- 
tlements west  of  the  mountains  ;  and,  if  practicable,  to  proceed  as  far 
a«  Chiswcll's  Lead  Mines,  and  destroy  the  \'    rks  and  stores  at  that  place. 

The  main  body,  commanded  bv  Cornw  ilis  in  person,  was  to  move 
along  tlie  central  road,  by  way  of  Salisbury,  and  form  a  junction  with 
Ferguson  before  he  entered  into  Virginia.  Ferguson's  detachment 
began  the  operation  by  marching  towards  the  mountains  ;  and,  on  his 
way,  mot  witli  a  small  regiment  of  North  Carolina  militia  commanded 
by  Charles  and  Joseph  McDowell.  They  were. attacked,  and  soon  dis- 
persed ;   hilt   the  Colonel   and    Major,  with  a  part  of  the  men  chose, 

*Whitinj;'s  liei'olutionary  Orders,  pp.  123-24. 


V 


H  :i 


528 


A.  CAMPBELL'S  STATEMENT. 


rather  than  submit,  to  pass  over  the  Apalachian  mountains,  and  take 
refuge  among  their  Whig  brethern  on  the  western  waters.  Tliey  arrived 
in  the  settlement  on  Watauga  river,  without  tiieir  famihes,  to  the  number 
of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Tiicir  tale  was  a  doleful  one,  and 
tended  to  excite  the  resentment  of  the  western  militia,  who  of  late  had 
become  inured  to  danger  by  fighting  the  Indians,  and  who  had  an  utter 
detestation  of  the  tyranny  of  the  British  Government. 

At  this  period,  early  in  September,  the  County  Lieutenant  of  Wash- 
ington was  in  Richmond.  There  he  had  an  interview  with  the  Governor 
of  Virginia,  who  detailed  the  circumstances  of  Gen.  Gates'  defeat,  the 
measures  about  to  Ije  taken  to  retrieve  the  late  misfortune,  and  to  expel 
the  enemy  from  our  country  ;  and  that  vigorous  resistance  everywhere 
would  soon  put  an  end  to  the  war.  On  the  return  of  the  County  Lieuten- 
ant, Col.  Isaac  Shelby,  of  North  Carolina,  sent  to  him  a  tuisty  messenger 
to  inform  him  of  the  progress  of  Ferguson,  and  the  retreat  of  McDowell's 
corps ;  and  also  to  incjuire  whether  it  would  be  prudent  to  make  an  effort 
to  enable  the  exiles  to  recrnss  the  mountains,  and  return  to  their  own 
homes.  Mr.  Adair,  the  messenger,  was  told  the  Governor's  sentiments 
on  the  subject  of  Gates'  defeat,  and  the  efforts  that  would  soon  be 
made,  by  order  of  Congress,  to  check  the  progress  of  the  enemy  ;  and 
he  was  also  assured,  that  if  the  wesLcrn  counties  of  North  Carolina 
would  raise  a  force  to  join  Col.  McDowell's  men,  that  the  officers  of 
Washington  County  would  co-operate  to  aid  their  friends  to  return  home. 

A  consuluUion  was  soon  had  with  the  fi(,ld  officers,  and  a  resolution 
agreed  on,  to  order  half  the  militia  of  Washington  County  into  actual 
service,  under  the  command  of  Col.  William  Campbell.  All  ranks 
seemed  animated  with  the  same  spirit,  and  the  quota  was  raised  and 
equipped  in  a  few  days.  An  express  was  sent  to  Col.  Cleveland,  of 
Wilkes  County,  North  Carolina,  to  let  him  know  what  was  going  on, 
and  to  march  all  the  men  he  could  raise,  to  rendezvous  at  an  appointed 
place  on  the  east  side  of  the  mountains.  Cols.  Shelby  and  .Sevier  acted 
their  part,  with  like  promptitude,  in  the  western  counties  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  tlie  whole  met  at  Col.  McDowell's  enrampnent  on  Watauga. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  [twenty-sixth]  of  September  cur  little  army  took 
up  its  line  of  march,  and  the  third  day  in  the  evening  reached  the  other 
side,  without  any  opposition  from  the  enemy.  Two  days  afterwards. 
Col.  Cleveland  joined  his  corps  to  the  main  body  ;  and  the  day  after- 
wards Col.  Williams,  with  three  companies  of  volunteers  from  South 
Carolina.  A  council  o*"  officers  w.is  held,  and  it  was  agreed  that  Col. 
William  Campbell,  of  Virginia,  should  take  command  of  Uie  whole, 
and  pursue  the  enemy.  Col.  Ferguson,  after  dispersing  such  parties  of 
the  North  Carolina  militia  as  were  embodied,  followed  Col.  McDowell's 
men  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  great  mountains,  and  after  takiuL;  some 
prisoners,  and  collecting  a  drove  of  beeves,  he  made  a  hasty  retreat  to 


APPENDIX. 


529 


King's  Mountain,  in  order  to  be  nearer  tlic  main  army,  and  on  account 
of  the  strong  encampment  that  might  be  formed  on  the  top  of  it.  Our 
newly  elected  commander  reviewed  his  men,  and  selected  all  that  were 
fit  for  service  of  the  mounted  infantry,  and  ordered  the  footmen  to  fol- 
low as  they  might  be  able  to  hold  out. 

Those  who  have  been  familiar  with  the  principal  officers  who  fought 
on  King's  Mountain,  and  those  who  fought  at  Cowpens,  will  readily  ])ro- 
noiuice  tiiat  the  latter  was  a  mere  skirmish  compared  with  the  arduous 
affair  on  King's  Mountain.  There  our  heroes  had  to  act  as  a  forlorn 
hope — storm  the  enemy's  camp,  defended  by  superior  numbers,  and 
disciplined  troops.  The  Virginia  regin^ent  alone  had  more  killed  than 
the  whole  of  Gen.  Morgan's  corps.  This  proves  where  the  hard  fighting 
was,  more  than  the  pompous  tale  of  a  partial  historian.  It  was  Fergu- 
son's defeat  that  was  the  first  link  iw  a  grand  chain  of  causes,  which 
finally  drew  down  ruin  on  the  British  interests  in  the  Southern  States, 
and  finally  terminated  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

It  has  been  remarked  why  so  small  a  mmiber  of  the  Americans  were 
killed  at  King's  Mountain,  compared  with  the  loss  of  the  enemy.  Our 
officers  accounted  for  it  in  this  way  :  The  Tories  occupied  much  the 
least  space  of  ground,  and  o^  course  were  more  thickly  planted  than 
the  e.\tcnded  circle  of  the  Americans  around  them,  so  that  tlic  fire  of 
our  men  seldom  failed  doing  execution  ;  besides,  when  the  Virginia 
regiment  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  the  enemy  was  crowded,  mak- 
ing their  retreat  to  the  other  end,  without  returning  a  shot ;  and  when 
they  were  driven  into  a  huddle  by  meeting  the  fire  of  Col.  Williams' 
division,  they  received  a  heavy  fire  before  our  troops  could  be  notified 
of  the  surrender. 


.aro- 

\^- 
took 
)ther 
ards, 
ifter- 
iouth 
Col. 
nole, 
;s  of 
•ell's 
iorne 
at  to 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MARCH  AND  B.VTTLE  OF  KING'S 

MOUNTAIN, 

15y  an  unknown  member  of  Campbell's  regiment 


On  hearing  of  a  large  body  of  British  and  Tories  assembled  in  North 
Carolina,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Ferguson,  andthreateningtovib.it 
r^")lbnin  river,  on  the  22d  of  S^;)tembcr,  1780,  two  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  iiiilK'a  of  Washington  County,  \'irginia,  were  ordered  out  under  the 
command  of  Col.  William  Campbell  ;  and  rendezvoused  on  Watauga, 
where  they  were  joined  by  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  from  the  west- 
ern part  of  North  Carolina  under  the  command  of  Col.  Sevi'-/  and  Co'. 
Isaac  Shelby,  together  with  a  jiarty  of  one  hundred  and  fiftymen,  under 
the  command  of  Col.  Charles  McDowell,  who  had  been  driven  over  the 

mountains  bv  Col.  Ferguson.    While  we  were  yet  at  the  jjlace  of  lendez- 
;i4 


m 


630 


ANONYMOUS  STA  TEMENT. 


voiis,  Col.  Arthur  CainpljcU,  believing  thiit  there  was  not  :i  sufficient 
force  to  successfully  cnj^;ii;e  with  the  enemy,  ordered  out,  and  c;une  on 
with  two  hundred  more  of  the  Washington  militia,  and  joined  us  at 
Watauga.  Col.  Arthur  Campbell  retiuned  home  to  take  care  of  the 
froir  rs,  which  were  left  baie  of  men,  and  were  in  danger  of  being 
atta  Kcdby  the  Indians,  wiio  were  near  neighbors. 

A  council  was  held  to  select  a  commander,  and  it  was  unanimously 
given  to  Col.  William  Campljcli.  We  began  our  march  from  Watauga 
on  the  27th*  of  Septemljer,  witii  nine  hundred  and  fifty  men.  With  a 
very  bad  road,  we  were  foiu'  days  in  passing  the  mountains,  when  we 
ariivcd  at  the  settlements  of  North  Carolina  ;  and  the  next  i.ay  we  were 
joined  by  Col.  Cleveland,  from  Wilkes  County,  and  .Maj.  Winston,  from 
Surry,  with  four  hundred  men.  From  there  wc  proceeded  on,  living 
mostly  on  parched  corn.  We  left  four  hundred  footmen  behind,  not 
being  able  to  keep  up  with  the  horse,  and  tiie  fifth  [sixth]  of  October,  joined 
Col.  Williams,  and  some  Georgia  troops,  being  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty.  From  Col.  Williams'  camp,  we  set  out  about  dark,  and  traveled 
all  that  night,  exjiecting  to  attack  the  enemy  about  break  of  day  ;  but 
Col.  Ferguson  sometime  before  hearing  of  our  coming,  retreated,  and 
took  an  advantageous  position  at  a  place  called  King's  Mountain,  where 
the  enemy  thought  they  were  very  safely  posteil,  and  sent  to  Cornwallis 
for  a  re-inforcement.  But  Col.  Campbell  proceeded  so  precipitately  on 
his  march,  that  wc  came  on  them  with  surprise,  on  the  7th  of  October, 
the  sun  ijcing  about  an  hour  and  a  half  high. 

Col.  Cainpbell  ordered  Col.  Williams  and  Col.  Cleveland  to  the  left, 
and  Col.  Shelby  for  a  reserve,  and  attacked  on  the  right  himself,  mak- 
ing the  first  onr.oi. ;  but  the  action  soon  ijucame  general — Col.  Williams 
and  Col.  Cleveland  acting  witli  great  bravery  on  the  left.  Col.  I'ergu- 
son  ordered  a  charge  to  be  made  on  the  Virginia  regiment,  wiiich  forced 
some  of  them  to  retreat  a  short  distance;  but  they  were  rallied  again, 
but  the  enemy  fell  so  fast  that  they  were  obliged  lO  retire  to  the  tojD  of 
the  mountain.  Col.  Shelby  with  the  reserve  came  up,  and  in  about  half 
an  hour  the  enemy  was  surrounded. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  jiraise  of  our  bra^'e  commander,  who  ex- 
erted himself,  animating  the  men  to  victory.  Wc  advanced  on  the  enemy, 
and  broke  their  lines  ;  but  they  were  rallied  three  times  by  Col.  Fergu- 
son, but  to  no  effect ;  our  men  pressing  so  close  on  them  on  every  side, 
at  length  that  active  Briush  officer,  losing  all  hopes  of  victory,  tliought 
with  some  others  to  break  through  our  lines  and  gee  off;  but  fell  in  the 
attempt,  Col.  Fergus' -n  having  two  balls  through  his  body,  and  one 
through  his  head.  The  enemy  then  soon  surrendered.  The  action 
lasted  an  hour  and  five  minutes.     The  enemy  had  about  two  hundred 


<'Tlic  ofTici.il  r  port.  .tiuI  KiisiRn  CamplicU's  Diary,  st.ite  th.it  it  was  tlic  sCth. 


-WT* 


APPENDIX. 


531 


and  thirty  dead  on  the  ground,  and  a  number  wounded.  We  lost  some 
brave  officers,  and  about  thirty-five  lay  dead  on  the  ground.  The 
enemy  mostly  over-shot  us,  as  we  marched  up  the  mountain.  It  wa^i 
dark  again  we  got  the  prisoners  under  guard.  Cornwallis  liad  sent 
Tarleton  with  foi.r  hundred  dragoons  to  re-inforce  Col.  Ferguson,  but 
hearing  of  his  retreat,  r-turned. 


il  ( 


COL  CAMPBELL'S  GENERAL  ORDERS. 


Camp  hijlow  Gilbert  Town,  Ocf.  it,  /;rSo. 
Return  of  the  strength  of  the  different  regiments,  with  the  rank  and 
number  of  the  dead  and  wounded,  in  the  late  action,  to  be  imme- 
diately made  out.  Two  hundred  privates,  with  the  proper  and  necessarx- 
number  of  officers,  to  mount  guard  every  morning,  wlio,  with  the  fielil 
officers  of  the  day,  are  to  march  with  the  front  of  the  army,  and  when 
we  camp  are  to  take  the  charge  of  the  prisoners  immediately,  to  detach 
the  necessary  pickets  and  patrols.  I  must  rec[uest  tlie  officers  of  all 
ranks  in  the  army  to  endeavor  to  restrain  the  disorderly  manner  of 
slaughtering  and  disturbing  the  prisoners.  If  it  cannot  be  prevented 
by  moderate  measures,  such  effectual  punishment  shall  be  executed 
upon  delinquents  as  will  put  a  stoj)  to  it. 


Camp  at  Col.  Walker's,  Oct.  ij,  lySo. 

Parole  Newburn. 

The  Deputy  Ouarter-Masters,  under  the  direction  of  the  Ouarter- 
Master  General,  to  dispose  of  the  wounded  of  their  respective  regiments, 
who  are  not  able  to  march  with  the  army,  in  the  best  manner  they  can, 
in  the  \'icinity  of  this  ]ilace.  The  Quarter-Masters  to  call  upon  the 
companies  to  which  the  wounded  belong,  for  any  necessary  assistance 
for  their  removal.  The  Adjutants  to  wait  upon  the  Brigade-Major  at  si.x 
o'clock  every  day  for  the  orders.  The  army  to  march  without  fail  by 
ten  o'clock. 


Ca.mp  at 


Oct.  14,  i~So. 


The  many  desertions  from  the  army,  and  consequent  felonies  com- 
mitted by  those  who  desert,  oblige  me  once  more  to  insist  that  proper 
regimental  returns  be  made  every  morning,  noting  down  the  nan^os  <s( 
those  who  desert,  that  such  may  hereafter  be  punished  with  the  justice 
which  their  crimes  deserve ;  and  officers  commanding  regiments  are 
requested  not  to  discharge  any  of  their  troops  until  we  can   dispose  of 


It 


i.  f: 


ii 


532 


CAMPBELL'S  ORDERS. 


the  prisoners  to  a  jirnper  i,Mi;ircl.  Tlie  Quarter-Master  General  to  sec 
the  aninuinition  taken  I'mni  the  enemy  |in)peily  issued  to  the  trooi)^  who 
have  not  yet  drawn  any  of  it.  Tlie  Coniniihsary-deneral  to  send  small 
jjarties  before  us  upon  our  route  to  collect  provisions;  and  he  is  hereby 
empowered  to  call  upon  the  comniaiuiin^^  officers  of  the  different  regi- 
ments for  such  parties.  It  is  with  anxiety  1  hear  the  complaints  of  tiic 
inhabitants  on  account  of  the  plundering  parties  who  issue  out  from  the 
camp,  and  indiscriminately  rob  both  Whig  and  Tory,  leaving  our 
friends,  I  believe,  in  a  worse  situation  than  the  enemy  would  have  done. 
1  hope  the  officers  will  exert  themselves  in  suppressing  this  abominable 
practice,  degrading  to  the  name  of  soldier,  by  keeping  their  soldiers 
close  in  camp,  and  preventing  their  straggling  off  upon  our  marches. 


Camp  at  Bethahara,  Oct.  26,  ijSo. 

Parole  Henry. 

Col.  Cleveland  to  take  the  command  of  the  guards  now  here,  and 
of  those  who  may  come  to  camp  until  1  return,  and  in  tiie  meantime  to 
issue  such  orders  as  may  be  necessary.  Should  I  by  letter  direct  the 
prisoners  and  troo|)S  to  move  fron-v  here,  they  arc  to  do  it,  and  go  to 
such  place  as  I  shall  so  direct.  Tiic  officers  and  soldiers  all  to  lodge  in 
camp,  and  to  be  and  remain  there  from  eiglit  o'clock  iit  night,  until 
next  morning  after  guard  mounting,  under  pain  of  arrest  or  confine- 
ment. The  officers  ordered  on  guard,  to  attend  strictly  to  their  duly 
luitil  the)  are  relieved.  The  Commissary  to  issue  full  rations  to  the 
prisoners.  The  regular  officers  to  continue  at  the  jilace  until  I  return, 
unless  I  shall  direct  them  to  be  removed  witli  the  other  ]irisoners.  It  is 
hoped  no  insult  or  violence  unmerited  will  be  offered  to  them.  My  wish 
is  that  no  unnecessary  injury  be  done  to  the  inliabitants  of  this  place  or 
tlie  adjacent  country.  No  liquor  to  be  sold  or  issued  to  the  troops  wilJi- 
out  an  order  from  the  commanding  officer  for  the  time  being.  This 
order  respects  all  retailers  of  spirituous  liquors  in  or  near  camp,  of  which 
they  are  to  be  made  acquainted. 


VOTE  OF  THANKS  OF  THE  VIRGINIA   LEGISLATURE 
TO  COLONEL  CAMPBELL. 


I\  THE  \'iu(;iMA   IIousi':  OF  Dei-egates,  Nov.  lotJt,  i/So. 

Resolved,  lu-iitinc  coiUradidr.tc,  that  the  tiianks  of  this  House  be 
given  to  Col.  Wm.  Campbell,  of  the  County  of  Washington,  and  to  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  militia  unler  his  comnand,  who  spontane- 
ously cquijjt  themselves,  and  went  forth  to  the  aid  of  a  sister  State,  suffer- 
ing distress  under  ihe  invai^ion  and  ravages  of  the  common  enemy,  and 


i  i 


APPENDIX. 


633 


wlio  cnnihincd  wilh  some  detachments  of  militia  from  the  neighboring 
States  judiciously  concerted,  and  bravely  executed,  an  attack  upon  a  party 
of  tlic  enemy  commanded  by  M  ij.  Fergu.sf)n,  consisting  of  about  eleven 
hunihed  and  forty-live  men,  British  and  Tories,  strongly  posted  on 
King's  Mountain  ;  when  after  a  severe  and  bloody  conflict  of  upwards 
of  an  hour,  the  survivors  of  the  enemy  were  compelled  to  surrender 
themselves  prisoners  of  war.  And  that  C"ol.  Campbell  be  requested  to 
communicate  the  contents  of  this  resolution  to  the  gallant  officers  and 
soldiers  who  composed  his  party. 

Ori)i;ri:d,  that  Mr.  Joseph  Jones  of  King  George,  Mr.  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  and  Mr.  Fleming,  be  a  committee  to  communicate  the  fore- 
going vote  of  thanks  to  Col.  Campbell. 

Test:  JOHN  BECKLEY,  C.  H.  D. 


In  the  Virginia  Senate,  Nov.  ijt/i,  17S0. 

Resolved,  neviine  contradicenie,  that  the  thanks  of  this  House  are 
justly  due  to  Col.  Wm.  Campbell,  of  Washington  County,  and  the  brave 
officers  and  soldiers  under  his  command,  who,  with  an  ardor  truly 
patriotic,  in  the  month  of  September  last,  without  waiting  for  the  call  of 
Government,  voluntarily  marched  out  to  oppose  the  common  enemy,  ;it 
that  time  making  depredations  on  the  frontiers  of  North  Carolina,  and 
on  the  7th  day  of  October,  by  a  well-timed,  judicious,  and  spirited 
attack,  with  a  force  infetior  to  that  of  Maj.  Ferguson,  then  adv.in- 
tageously  posted  on  King's  Mountain,  with  upwards  of  eleven  hundred 
men,  and  by  perseverance  and  gallantry  rarely  to  be  met  with  even 
among  veteran  troops,  totally  defeated  the  whole  party  ;  whereby  a  for- 
midable and  dangerous  scheme  of  the  enemy  was  effectually  frustrated. 

Test :  WILL.  DREW,  C.  S. 


■|  i* 


COL.  HENRY  LEE  TO  COL.  CAMPBELL. 


March  i/f/i,  lySi. 

I  am  very  happy  in  informing  you  that  the  bravery  of  your  battalion, 
displayed  in  the  action  of  the  T5th,  is  particularly  noticed  by  the  Gen- 
eral. It  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  a  failure  took  place  in  the  line 
which  lost  the  day,  separated  us  from  the  main  body,  and  exposed  run- 
retreat.  I  hope  your  men  are  safe,  and  that  the  scattered  will  ag.\in 
collect.  Be  pleased  to  favor  me  with  a  return  ot  your  loss,  and  prepare 
your  men  for  a  second  battle. 

I  am,  most  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

HENRY  LEE,  Jun. 
COL.  CAMPBELL. 


534  LA  FA  YETTE'S  EUL OG  Y. 

GEN.  GREENE  TO  COL.  CAMPBELL. 


Head-quarteus,  March  iglh,  lySi. 

Sir: — Your  faithful  services,  unci  the  exertions  which  you  made  to 
second  tile  efforts  of  tlie  Southern  army,  on  the  15th  inst,  claim  my 
warmest  thanks.  It  would  Ijc  ungenerous  not  to  acknowledge  my  entire 
approbation  of  your  conduct,  and  the  spirited  and  manly  behavior  of 
the  officers  and  soldiers  under  you.  Sensible  of  your  merit,  I  feel  a 
pleasure  in  doing  justice  to  it.  Most  of  the  riflemen  having  gone  home, 
and  not  having  it  i.i  my  power  to  make  up  another  command,  you  have 
my  permission  to  ic'iirn  home  to  your  friends,  and  should  the  emer- 
gency of  the  Southern  operations  require  your  further  exertions,  I  will 
advertise  you. 

I  am,  sir,  with  great  esteem,  your  most  humble  servant, 

NATH'L.  GREENE. 

COL.  CAMPBELL. 


LAFAYETTE'S  ORDERS. 


August,  23th,  i^i^j. 

The  General  has  no  doubt  but  that  the  army  will  unite  with  him  in 
regretting  Gen.  Campbell's  death,  an  officer  whose  services  must  have 
endeared  him  to  every  citizen,  and  in  particular  to  every  American 
soldier.  The  glory  which  Gen.  Campbell  has  acquired  at  the  affairs  of 
King's  Mountain  and  Guilford  Court  House,  will  do  his  memory  ever- 
lasting honor,  and  ensure  him  an  high  rank  among  the  defenders 
of  lilserty  in  the  American  cause. 

The  General  wishes  it  had  been  possible  for  himself  and  the  officers 
of  the  army,  to  have  paid  him  those  honors  to  which  his  rank,  but  par- 
ticularly his  merit,  so  highly  entitle  him  ;  but  his  great  distance  from  the 
army,  and  our  present  situation,  render  it  impossible. 

The  Lieutenant  of  the  County  will  assemble  a  corps  of  militia,  and 
pay  military  honors  to  the  deceased  General.  Gen.  Stevens  is  requested 
to  name  a  deputation  of  four  field  officers,  who  will  immediately  repair 
to  Rocky  Mills,  and  in  the  name  of  the  army  pay  Gen.  Campbell  their 
last  respects. 

LA  FAYETTE, 

Wm.  Barber,  D.  A.  G. 


APPENDIX. 


535 


[Extract  from  a  letter  from  James  Monroe,  riovcrnor  of  Virjfinia,  to 

Kobcrt  R.  Liviii}(st()ii,  Minister  I'lciiipotcntiary  from  the  U.  S. 

to    France,    dated   Riclimond,   Dec.   istli,    1801  :] 

Sir:  You  will  forj^ive  my  troubling  you  with  an  object  which  I  do  in 
conlidencc  that  you  will  execute  it  with  pleasure.  The  late  Gen.  William 
Campbell  of  this  State,  a  very  },'allant  officer  of  the  militia,  rendered 
im|)ortant  services  to  his  country  in  a  severe  encounter  with  a  detach- 
ment of  the  British  under  the  command  of  Col.  Ferj^'uson,  on  a  moun- 
tain called  King's  Mountain,  in  North  Carolina,  in  the  year  1780.  In 
that  action,  in  which  Gen.  Campbell  displayed  great  gdlantry.  Col. 
Ferguson  was  killed,  his  party  defeated,  and  by  means  of  it,  the  first 
check  given  to  the  British  in  the  South,  after  a  series  of  unfortunate 
events.  In  consideration  of  his  services  on  the  occasion,  and  as  a  testi- 
mony of  the  public  acknowledgement  of  his  merit,  the  General  Assem- 
bly voted  him  a  horse  completely  caparisoned,  and  a  sword  which  the 
Executive  was  desired  to  present  him  with.  It  remains  to  provido  the 
sword,  which  I  have  to  request  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  undertake  for 
the  Commonwealth. 


M    * 


DIARY  OF  MEMORANDUMS. 


[From  a  small  book  kept  by  Ensign  Robert   Campbell.] 


At  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain  the  Americans  had  thirty  killed,  and 
about  sixty  wounded  ;  the  British  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  killed, 
and  something  less  than  that  number  wounded. 

Col.  David  Campbell,  of  Campbell's  Station,  was  in  Dysart's  com- 
pany at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain.  Col.  Robert  Campbell  was  the 
Ensign  in  the  same  company. 

In  the  expedition  to  King's  Mountain,  Col.  Campbell,  Col.  Shelby, 
and  Col.  Sevier  rendezvoused  at  the  Sycamore  Flats,  on  Watauga,  at  the 
foot  of  Yellow  Mountain,  on  the  25th  of  September,  1780.  Next  day, 
the  26th,  they  ascended  ♦'ms  mountain,  mostly  on  horseback,  and  en- 
camped at  night  in  the  gap  of  the  mountain  on  tho  opposite  side.  The 
ascent  over  this  part  of  the  mountain  was  not  very  difficult.  There  w.is  a 
road ;  but  not  one  on  whicn  wagons  could  pass.  No  provisions  were  taken 
but  such  as  each  man  c;  ild  carry  in  his  wallet  or  saddle-bags.  The  sides 
and  top  of  the  mountain  were  covered  with  snow,  shoe-mouth  deep.  On 
the  top  of  the  mount;. -i  there  was  about  one  hundred  acres  of  beautiful 
table  land,  in  which  a  spring  issued,  ran  through  it,  and  over  into  the 
Watauga.  Here  the  troops  paraded.  On  reaching  the  plane  beyond  the 
mountain,  they  found  themselves  in  a  country  covered  with  verdure,  and 


■B 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


2.5 


■-iia 

^   1^    12.0 


1.25 


1.8 


JA  IIIIII.6 


4 


{/ 


^-,% 


fe 


y 


^% 


:% 


#A 


;* 


I. 


R.  CAMPBELL'S  ACCOUNT. 


Ijiciithcd  an  atmosphere  of  suininer  miUliicss.  The  second  night— the  night 
of  the  27th,  they  rested  at  Cathey's  plantation.  The  third  day,  the  28th, 
they  fell  in  with  Gen.  McDowell,  and  that  night  held  a  consultation  of  the 
ofificcrs.  The  General  was  without  troc^^s,  yet  his  rank  and  former  services 
could  not  easily  be  overlooked.  It  was  .:*ated  in  the  council,  that  they 
needed  an  experienced  officer  to  command  ti.em.  Morgan  was  the  man 
they  wanted,  and  to  obviate  all  difficulties  Gen.  McDowell  offered  to  be 
the  bearer  of  their  wishes  to  Gen.  Gates.  The  fourth  night,  the  29111,  they 
rested  at  a  rich  Tory's,  where  they  obtained  abundance  of  every  neces- 
sary refreshment.  On  the  fifth  day,  the  30th,  they  reached  the  Catawba, 
and  were  there  joined  by  Cleveland.  Here  they  dispatched  Gen.  .Mc- 
Dowell to  Gen.  Gates. 

On  passing  near  the  Cowpens,  they  heard  of  a  large  body  of  Tories 
about  eight  miles  distant ;  and  although  the  main  enterprise  was  not  to 
be  delayed  a  single  moment,  a  pc'rty  of  eighty  volunteers,  under  Ensign 
Robert  Campjjell,  was  dispatched  in  pursuit  of  them  during  the  night. 
They  had,  however,  removed  Ijcfore  the  party  came  to  the  place,  who, 
after  riiling  all  night,  came  up  with  the  main  body  next  day.  On  the 
next  night  a  similar  expedition  was  conducted  by  Captain  Colvill,  with  no 
better  success,  but  without  causing  any  delay. 

The  battle  was  fought  on  Saturday,  the  7th  day  of  October,  1780.  On 
tlie  next  Saturday,  a  court  martial  was  held  for  the  trial  of  the  Tories. 
This  is  represented  in  history  to  have  taken  place  immediately  ;  but  it 
was  the  eighth  day  after  the  battle. 


COL.  ROBERT  CAMPBELL'S  CERTIFICATE. 

I  was  an  Ensign  in  Captain  D^sart's  company,  in  the  battle  of 
King's  Mountain.  Frequently  saw  Col.  Campbell  riding  along  our  lines 
animating  the  men.  About  the  middle  of  the  action,  Col.  Shelby  came 
rifling  where  I  was,  and  ordered  me  to  follow  him  to  a  particular  position 
to  the  right,  to  attack  some  of  the  enemy  that  were  annoying  us.  Wc 
marched  after  him  some  distance,  when  the  enemy  fired  at  us.  He  then 
ordered  me  to  form  on  a  s])ur  of  the  mountaii.  in  front,  and  retired.  I 
there  kept  up  a  fire  on  the  enemy  until  they  retired  to  tiicir  main  body, 
at  which  time  I  saw  their  flag  raised.  At  this  moment  Col.  Sevier  came 
riding  up,  and  we  marched  up  with  him  to  the  line  of  surrender.  I  then 
discovered  I  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  enemy  from  the  Virginia 
regiment  to  which  I  belonged.  I  went  round  immediately  in  search  of 
my  brclher.  Col.  Campbell  shook  me  by  the  hand,  and  ordered  me  to 
mount  one  of  the  enemy's  horses,  and  bring  in  all  tlie  men  I  could  to 
rii.ird  the  prisoners,  which  I  did.  Col.  Cani;ibcll  at  this  time  was  in  his 
sliirt  sleeves. 


APPEND  IX. 


531 


battle  of 
our  lines 
[by  came 

position 
us.     We 

He  then 
tired.     I 

n  body, 

icr  came 

I  then 

Virjj;ini,i 
earch  of 
cd  me  to 

could  to 

as  in  his 


[From  tlie  /liinals  of  the  Army  of  Tcinu'ssec,  Oct.,  1S7S. 
MSS.  of  the  Tennessee  Historical  Society.] 

BATTLE  OF  KING'S  MOUNTAIN. 
By  Ensign  Robert  Campbell. 

The  following  account  of  the  Battle  of  King's  Mountain  wa-s  found 
amongst  the  papers  of  James  Campbell,  deceased.  It  was  written  Ijy 
Robert  Campbell,  an  Ensign  in  Capt.  Dysart's  company,  who,  upon 
Capt.  Dysart  being  wounded  early  in  the  action,  commanded  the  com- 
pany afterward.  The  scene  is  not  within  the  limits  of  our  State,  but  as 
we  -..'ere  then  a  portion  of  the  Territory  of  North  Carolina,  and  as  many 
of  our  families  had  relatives  engaged  in  it,  I  have  thought  proper  to 
transcribe  it,  to  be  filed  with  the  other  historical  documents  of  our 
Society.  Joii.N  R.  Eaki.n. 

Nashville,  Tcnn.,  1S4S. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1780,  when  the  American  cause  wore  a  very 
gloomy  aspect  in  the  Southern  States,  Cols.  Arthur  and  William  Camp- 
bell, hearing  of  the  advance  of  Colonel  Ferguson  along  the  mountains 
in  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  that  the  Whigs  were  retreating 
before  him,  unable  to  make  any  effectual  resistance,  formed  a  plan  to 
intercept  him,  and  communicated  it  to  the  commanding  officers  of  Sulli- 
van and  Washington  Counties,  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina.  They 
readily  agreed  to  co-operate  in  any  expedition  against  Col.  Feiguson. 
Col.  Arthur  Campbell  immediately  ordered  the  militia  of  Washington 
Co.,  Virginia,  amounting  to  near  four  hundred,  to  make  ready  to  march 
under  command  of  Col.  Wm.  Campbell,  who  was  known  to  be  an  enter- 
prising and  active  officer.  Cols.  Shelby  and  Sevier  raised  a  party  of 
three  hundred,  joined  him  on  his  march,  and  moved  with  forced  marches 
toward  Col.  Ferguson.  At  the  same  time  Cols.  Williams,  Cleveland, 
Lacey,  and  Brandon,  of  the  States  of  North  and  South  Carolina,  each 
conducted  a  small  [jarty  toward  the  same  point,  amounting  to  near  three 
hundred.  Col.  Ferguson  had  notice  of  their  apjoroach  by  a  deserter  that 
left  the  anny  on  the  Yellow  Mountain,  and  immediately  commenced  his 
march  for  Charlotte,  dispatching  at  the  same  time  different  messengers 
to  Lord  Cornwallis  with  information  of  his  danger.  These  messengers 
being  intercepted  on  their  way,  no  movement  was  made  to  favor  his 
retreat. 

These  several  corps  of  American  volunteers,  amounting  to  aear  one 
thousand  men,  met  at  Gilbert  Town,  and  the  officers  unanimously  chose 
Colonei  Campbell  to  the  command.  About  seven  hundred  choice  •  .lemen 
mounted  their  horses  for  the  purpose  of  following  the  retre-'ting  army. 
The  balance  being  chiefly  footmen,  were  left  to  follow  on  and  come  u|) 
as  soon  as  they  could.     The  pursuit  was  too  rapid  to  render  an  escape 


H 


U 


538 


Ji.  CAMPBELL 'S  A  CCO  UNT. 


practicable.  Ferguson,  finding  that  he  must  inevitably  be  over-taken, 
chose  his  ground,  and  waited  for  the  attack  on  King's  Mountain.  On  the 
yth  of  October,  in  the  afternoon,  after  a  forced  march  of  forty-five 
miles  on  liuit  day  and  the  night  before,  the  volunteers  came  uj)  with  him. 
The  forenoon  of  the  day  was  wet,  but  they  were  fortunate  enough  to 
come  on  him  undiscovered,  and  took  his  pickets,  they  not  having  it  in 
their  power  to  give  an  alarm.  They  were  socm  formed  in  such  order  as 
to  attack  the  enemy  on  all  sides.  The  Washington  and  Sullivan  regi- 
ments were  formed  in  the  front  and  on  the  right  Hank;  the  North  and 
South  Carolina  troops,  under  Cols.  Williams,  Sevier,  Cleveland,  Lacey, 
and  Brandon,  on  the  left.  The  two  armies  being  in  full  view,  the  center 
of  the  one  nearly  opposite  the  center  of  the  other — the  British  main 
guard  posted  nearly  half  way  down  the  mountain — the  commanding 
officer  gave  the  word  of  command  to  raise  the  Indian  war-whoop  and 
charge.  In  a  moment.  King's  Mountain  resounded  with  their  shouts,  and 
on  the  first  fire  the  guard  retreated,  leaving  some  of  their  men  to  crim- 
son the  earth.  The  British  beat  to  arms,  and  immediately  formed  on 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  behind  a  chain  of  rocks  that  appeared  impreg- 
nable, and  had  their  wagons  drawn  up  on  their  fl.ink  across  the  end  of 
the  mountain,  by  which  they  made  a  strong  breast-work. 

Thus  concealed,  the  American  army  advanced  to  the  charge.  In  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes  the  wings  came  round,  and  the  action  became  general. 
The  enemy  annoyed  our  troops  very  much  from  their  advantageous 
position.  Col.  Shelby,  being  previously  ordered  to  reconnoitre  their 
position,  observing  their  situation,  and  what  a  destructive  fire  was  kept 
up  from  behind  those  rocks,  ordered  Robert  Cam;>bell,  one  of  the  officers 
of  the  Virginia  Line,  to  move  to  the  right  with  a  small  company  to  en- 
deavor to  dislodge  them,  and  lead  them  on  nearly  to  the  ground  to 
which  he  had  ordered  them,  under  fire  of  the  enemy's  lines  and  within 
forty  steps  of  the  same ;  but  discovering  that  our  men  were  repulsed 
on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  he  gave  orders  to  advance,  and  post 
themselves  opposite  to  the  rocks,  and  near  to  the  enemy,  and  then  re- 
turned to  assist  in  bringing  up  the  men  in  order,  who  had  been  charged 
with  the  bayonet.  These  orders  were  punctually  obeyed,  and  they  kept 
up  such  a  galling  fire  as  to  compel  Ferguson  to  order  a  company  of  reg- 
ulars to  face  them,  with  a  view  to  cover  his  men  that  were  posted  behind 
the  rocks.  At  this  time,  a  considerable  fire  was  drawn  to  this  side  of  the 
mountain  by  the  repulse  of  those  on  the  other,  and  the  Loyalists  not 
being  permitted  to  leave  their  posts.  This  scene  was  not  of  long  dura- 
tion, for  it  was  the  brave  Virginia  volunteers,  and  those  under  Col. 
Shelby,  on  their  attempting  rapidly  to  ascend  the  mountain,  that  were 
charged  with  the  bayonet.  They  obstinately  stood  until  some  of  them 
were  thrust  through  the  body,  and  having  nothing  but  their  rifles  by 
which  to  defend  themselves,  they  were  forced  to  retreat.     They   were 


APPENDIX. 


539 


soon  rallied  by  their  gallant  commanders,  Campbell,  Shelby  and  other 
brave  officers,  and  by  a  constant  and  well-directed  lire  of  their  rifles, 
drove  them  back  in  their  turn,  strewing  the  face  of  the  mountain  with 
their  assailants,  and  kept  advancing  until  they  drove  them  from  some  of 
their  posts. 

Ferguson  being  heavily  pressed  on  all  sides,  ordered  Capt.  DePeyster 
to  reinforce  some  of  the  extreme  posts  with  a  full  company  of  British  regu- 
lars. He  marched,  but  to  his  astonishment  when  he  arrived  at  the  place 
of  destination,  he  had  almost  no  men,  being  exposed  in  that  short  dis- 
tance to  the  constant  fire  of  their  rifles.  He  then  ordered  his  cavalry  to 
mount,  but  to  no  purpose.  As  quick  as  they  were  mounted,  they  were 
taken  down  by  some  bold  marksmen.  Being  driven  to  desperation  by 
such  a  scene  of  misfortune.  Col.  Ferguson  endeavored  to  make  his 
escape,  and,  with  two  Colonels  of  the  Loyalists,  mounted  his  horse,  and 
charj.ed  on  that  part  of  the  line  which  was  defended  by  the  party  who 
had  been  ordered  roimd  the  mountain  by  Col.  Shelby,  it  appearing  too 
weak  to  resist  them.  But  as  soon  as  he  got  to  the  line  he  fell,  and  the 
other  two  officers,  attempting  to  retreat,  soon  shared  the  same  fate.  It 
was  about  this  time  that  Col.  Campbell  advanced  in  front  of  his  men, 
and  climbed  over  a  steep  rock  close  by  the  enemy's  lines,  to  get  a  view 
of  their  situation,  and  saw  they  were  retreating  from  behind  the  rocks 
that  were  near  to  him.  As  soon  as  Capt.  DePeyster  observed  that  Col. 
Ferguson  was  killed,  he  raised  a  flag  and  called  for  cjuarters.  It  was 
soon  taken  out  of  his  hand  by  one  of  the  officers  on  horseback,  and 
raised  so  high  that  it  could  be  seen  by  our  line,  and  the  firing  immedi- 
ately ceased.  The  Loyalists,  at  the  time  of  their  surrender,  were  driven 
into  a  crowd,  and  being  closely  surrounded,  they  could  not  liave  made 
any  further  resistance. 

In  this  sharp  action,  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  Col.  Ferguson's  party 
were  killed,  and  something  over  that  number  were  wounded.  Eight 
luindrcd  and  ten,  of  whom  one  hundred  were  British  regulars,  surren- 
dered themselves  prisoners,  and  one  thousand  five  hundred  stand  of 
arms  were  taken.  The  loss  of  the  American  army  on  this  occasion 
amounted  to  thirty  killed,  and  something  over  fifty  wounded,  among 
whom  were  a  number  of  brave  ofiicers.  Col.  Williams,  who  has  been  so 
much  lamented,  was  shot  through  the  body,  near  the  close  of  the  action, 
in  making  an  attempt  to  charge  upon  Ferguson.  He  lived  long  enough 
to  hear  of  the  surrender  of  the  British  army.  He  then  said,  "  I  die  con- 
tented, since  we  have  gained  the  victory,"  and  expired. 

The  third  night  after  the  action,  the  olificers  of  the  Carolinas  com- 
plained to  Col.  Camplx'U,  that  thei  .vere  among  the  prisoners;!  number 
who  had,  previous  to  the  action  on  King's  Mountain,  committed  cool 
and  deliberate  miu'der,  and  other  enormities  aiike  atrocious,  and  re- 
quested him  to  order  a  court-martial  to  examine  into  the  matter.     They 


;      ! 


r  ■< 


-m^ 


540 


SHELBY'S  STATEMExXT. 


stilted  tliat  if  they  should  escape,  they  were  exasperated,  and  they  feared 
tliey  would  commit  other  enormities  worse  than  they  had  Ibrnierly  done. 
Col.  Campbell  complied,  and  ordered  a  court-martial  iaiiiiediately  to  sit, 
composed  of  the  Field  Officers  and  Captains,  who  were  ordered  to  inquire 
into  the  complaints  which  had  been  made.  The  court  was  conducted 
orderly,  and  witncbses  were  called  and  examined  in  each  case.  The  con- 
sequence was  that  there  were  thirty-two  condemned.  Out  of  these,  nine 
who  were  thought  the  most  dangerous,  and  who  had  committed  the  most 
atruciius  crimes,  were  executed.  The  others  were  pardoned  by  the  com- 
manding officer.  One  of  the  crimes  proven  against  a  Captain  that  was 
executed  was,  that  he  had  called  at  the  house  of  a  Whig  and  inquired  if 
he  was  at  home,  and  being  informed  by  his  son,  a  small  boy,  that  he 
was  not,  he  immediately  drew  out  his  pistol  and  shot  him.  The  officers 
on  the  occasion  acted  from  an  honorable  motive  to  do  the  greatest  good 
in  their  power  for  the  public  service,  and  to  check  those  enormities  so 
frequently  committed  in  the  States  of  North  and  South  Carolina  at  that 
time,  their  distress  being  almost  unequaled  in  the  annals  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution. 


KINCS  MOUNTAIN— «Y  COL.  ISAAC  SHELBY. 


In  1S15,  and  again  in  1S19,  Gen.  Martin  D.  Hardin,  of  Kentucky,  had 
conversations  with  Governor  Shelliy  with  special  reference  to  the  battles  of 
Musgrove's  Mill,  and  King's  Mountain,  which  he  carefully  noted  down  at  the 
time;  and  which  his  son,  the  late  Hon.  John  J.  Hardin,  of  Illinois,  communi- 
cated to  the  American  Kcvu-w,  for  December,  1S4S.  That  part  relative  to 
King's  Mountain  is  as  follows  : 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1780,  Col.  Shelby  was  appointed  Colonel 
of  Sullivan  County  in  North  Carolina,  with  the  authority  of  County 
Lieutenant.  Col.  Sevier  held  the  same  command  in  Washington 
County,  North  Carolina.  These  Counties  arc  situated  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany mountains,  and  now  constitute  a  part  of  Tennessee.  Col.  William 
Campbell,  at  the  same  time,  commanded  a  regiment  in  Washington 
County,  Virginia,  but  was  not  the  County  Lieutenant.  After  the  defeat 
of  Gen.  Gates,  at  Camden,  on  the  i6th  of  August,  1780,  the  patriots  were 
very  much  dispirited.  Many  who  resided  in  the  eastern  portions  of  North 
and  South  Carolina,  sought  safety  and  liberty  in  the  mountains  of  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia,  amidst  the  hardy,  patriotic  mountaineers  of  those 
districts. 

In  September,  1780,  Maj.  Ferguson,  who  'was  one  of  the  best  and 
most  enterprising  of  the  British  officers  in  America,  had  succeeded  in 
raising  a  large  body  of  Tories,  who,  with  his  own  corps  of  regulars,  con- 


tucky,  had 
battles  of 

jwn  at  tlie 
communi- 
lative  to 

Colonel 

County 
ishington 
the  Allc- 
William 
shinL^^ton 
le  defeat 
lots  were 

of  North 
..f  North 

of  those 

best  and 
:eeded  in 
lars,  con- 


APPENDIX. 


641 


stititted  an  effective  fdrce  of  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-five  men. 
With  a  view  of  cutting  off  Col.  Clarke,  of  Cleorgia,  who  had  recently 
made  a  demonstration  against  Augusta,  which  was  then  in  the  hands  of 
the  British,  p"er;j;uson  had  marched  near  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  had  taken 
post  at  Oilbert  Town,  which  is  situated  but  a  few  miles  from  the  moun- 
tains. Whilst  there  he  discharged  a  patriot,  who  had  been  take  i 
prisoner,  on  his  parole,  and  directed  him  to  tell  Col.  Shelby,  (who  liad 
become  obnoxious  to  the  British  and  Tories  from  the  affair  at  Musgrove's 
Mill,)  that  if  Shelljy  did  not  surrender,  he  (Ferguson)  would  come  over 
the  mountains,  and  put  him  to  death,  and  burn  his  whole  County. 

It  required  no  further  taunt  to  rouse  the  patriotic  indignation  of  Col. 
Shelby.  lie  determined  to  make  an  eflbrt  to  raise  a  force,  in  connec- 
tion with  other  officers  which  should  surprise  and  defeat  Ferguson. 
With  this  object  in  view,  he  went  to  a  horse-race  near  where  Jones- 
borough  has  since  been  built,  to  see  Sevier  and  others.  Shelby  and 
Sevier  there  resolved,  that  if  Col.  Campbell  would  join  them,  they  would 
raise  all  the  force  they  could,  and  attack  Ferguson  ;  and  if  this  was  not 
practicable  they  would  co-operate  with  any  corps  of  the  army  of  the 
United  States  with  which  they  might  meet.  If  they  failed,  and  the 
country  was  over-run  and  subdued  by  the  British,  they  would  then  take 
water,  and  go  down  to  the  Spaniards  in  Louisiana. 

Col.  Camijbell  was  notified  of  their  determination,  and  a  place  of 
rendezvous  appointed  in  the  mountains,  east  <H'  Jonesborougli.  At  the 
time  appointed,  September  25th,  Campbell  joined  them,  and  their  united 
force  numbered  al)out  one  thousand  mounted  ritlemen.  They  crossed 
the  mountains  on  the  27th,  in  a  ravine ;  and  fell  in,  accidentally,  with 
Col.  Cleveland,  of  North  Carolina,  who  had  luider  his  command  about 
four  hundred  men. 

The  force  having  been  raised  by  officers  of  ccpial  rank,  and  l)eing 
without  any  higher  officer  entitled  to  command  the  whole  corps,  there 
was  a  general  want  of  arrangement  and  organization.  It  was  then  deter- 
mined, that  a  board  of  officers  should  convene  each  night,  and  decide 
on  the  pi  in  of  operations  for  the  next  day  ;  and  further,  that  one  of  the 
officers  should  see  those  orders  executed  as  officer  of  t/ir  day,  until  they 
should  otherwise  conclude.  Shelby  proposed  that  Col.  Campbell  should 
act  as  officer  of  the  day.  Campbell  took  him  aside,  and  requested  Shelby 
to  withdraw  his  name,  and  consent  to  serve  himself.  Shelby  replied  that 
he  was  himself  the  youngest  Colonel  present  from  his  State,  that  he  had 
served  during  that  year  under  several  of  the  officers  who  were  present, 
and  who  might  take  offence  if  he  commanded  ;  that  Gen.  McDowell,  who 
was  with  them,  was  too  slow  an  officer  for  his  views  of  the  enter|)rise  in 
which  they  were  engaged,  and  added  that  as  he  ranked  Campbell,  yet  as 
Campbell  was  the  only  officer  from  Virginia,  if  he  (Shelby)  pressed  his 
appointment,  no  one  would   object.      Col.   Campbell    felt  the  force  of 


542 


SHELB  Y'S  STA  TEMENT. 


this  reasoning,  and  consented  to  serve,  and  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
niaiul  as  officer  of  the  day. 

The  force  of  the  detachment  was  still  considered  insufficient  to  attack 
Ferguson,  as  his  strengtli  was  not  i<nown.  It  was  agreed  that  an  express 
be  sent  to  invite  Gen.  Morgan  or  Gen.  Davidson  to  talvc  the  command. 
Gen.  McUowell  tendered  his  services  for  this  purpose,  and  started  on  his 
mission.  Before  proceeding  far,  he  fell  in  with  Col.  Williams,  of  South 
Carolina,  who  was  at  the  head  of  from  two  to  three  hundred  refugees. 
Gen.  McDowell  advised  them  where  the  patriot  force  was  encamped. 
They  joined  the  army,  and  thus  made  a  muster-roll  of  about  sixteen 
hundred  men. 

The  board  of  officers  determined  to  march  upon  Ferguson.  In  the 
meantime,  two  or  three  of  their  men  had  deserted  after  their  first  ren- 
dezvous, and  had  gone  to  Ferguson,  and  advised  him  of  the  intended 
attack.  The  army  marched  to  Gilbert  Town,  and  found  that  Ferguson 
had  left  it  several  days  before,  having  taken  the  route  towards  Fort 
Ninety  Six. 

Finding  that  Ferguson  was  retreating,  and  learning  what  was  his  real 
strength,  it  was  determined  on  Thursday  night,  the  5th  of  October,  to 
make  a  desperate  effort  to  overtake  him  before  he  should  reach  any 
British  post,  or  receive  any  further  reinforcements.  Accordingly  they 
stlcf'ted  all  who  had  good  horses,  who  numbered  about  nine  hundred 
and  ten,  and  started  the  next  morning  in  pursuit  of  Ferguson,  as  soon  as 
they  could  see. 

Fer!;uson,  after  marching  a  short  distance  towards  Ninety  Six,  had 
("lied  off  to  the  left  towards  Lord  Cornwallis.  His  pursuers  never  stopped 
until  late  in  the  afternoon,  when  they  reached  the  Cowpens.  They  there 
halted,  shot  down  some  beeves,  ate  their  suppers,  and  fed  their  horses. 
This  done,  the  line  of  march  was  resumed,  and  continued  through  the 
whole  night,  amidst  an  excessively  hard  rain.  In  the  morning,  Shelby 
ascertained  that  Campbell  had  taken  a  wrong  road  in  the  night,  and  had 
separated  from  him.  Men  were  posted  off  in  all  directions,  and  Camp- 
l)cirs  corps  found,  and  put  in  the  right  road.  They  then  crossed  Broad 
river,  and  continued  their  pursuit  until  twelve  o'clock  of  the  7th  of 
October.  The  rain  continued  to  fall  so  heavily  that  Campl)ell,  Sevier 
and  Cleveland  concluded  to  halt,  and  rode  up  to  Shelby  to  inform  him 

of  their  determination.     Shelby  replied,  "By  ,  I  will  not  stop  until 

night,  if  I  follow  Ferguson  into  Cornwallis'  lines."  Without  replying,  the 
other  Colonels  turned  off  to  their  respective  commands,  and  continued 
the  march.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  mile,  when  they  learned  that 
Ferguson  was  only  seven  miles  from  them  at  King's  Mountain. 

Ferguson,  finding  he  could  not  elude  the  rapid  pursuit  of  the  mounted 
mountaineers,  had  marched  to  King's  Mountain,  which  he  considered  a 
strong  post,  and  which  he  had  reached  the  night  previous.  The  mountain 


the  com- 

to  attack 
1  express 
)minand. 
ucl  on  his 
of  Soutli 
rcfuj^ces. 
icampcd. 
t  sixteen 

.  In  the 
first  ren- 
in tended 
Ferguson 
Lirds  Fort 

IS  his  real 
ctober,  to 
each  any 
ngly  they 
hundred 
IS  soon  as 

Six,  had 
stopped 
ley  there 
horses, 
rough  the 
Shelby 
and  had 
d  Camp- 
d  Pjroad 
ylh  of 
11,  Sevier 
form  him 
stop  until 
lying,  the 
ontinued 
ned  that 

mounted 
sidered  a 
mountain 


ic 


APPENDIX. 


543 


or  riil>,'e,  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  so  confident  was  Ferguson  in 
the  strength  of  his  position,  that  he  declared,  "the  Almignty  could  not 
drive  him  from  it." 

When  the  patriots  came  near  the  mountain  they  halted,  tied  all  their 
loose  baggage  to  their  saddles,  fastened  their  horses,  and  left  them  under 
charge  of  a  few  men,  and  then  prepared  for  an  immediate  att.ick.  About 
three  o'clock  the  patriot  force  was  led  to  the  attack  in  foiu"  columns- 
Col.  Campbell  commanded  the  right  centre  column,  Col.  Shelby  the 
left  centre.  Col.  Sevier  the  right  Hank  column,  and  Col.  Cleveland 
the  left  tlar.k.  As  they  came  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  the  right  centre 
and  right  flank  columns  deployed  to  the  right,  and  the  left  centre  and 
left  flank  columns  to  the  left,  and  thus  surrounding  the  mountain  they 
marched  up,  commencing  the  action  on  all  sides. 

Ferguson  did  all  that  an  officer  could  do  under  the  circumstances. 
His  men  too  fought  bravely.  But  his  position,  which  he  thought  impreg- 
nable against  any  force  the  patriots  could  j-aise,  was  really  a  disadvantage 
to  him.  The  summit  was  bare,  whilst  the  sides  of  the  mountain  were 
covered  with  trees.  Ferguson's  men  were  drawn  up  in  close  column  on 
the  summit,  and  thus  presented  fair  marks  for  the  mountaineers,  who 
approached  them  under  cover  of  the  trees.  As  eithi;r  column  would 
approach  the  summit,  Ferguson  would  order  a  charge  with  fixed  bayonet, 
which  was  always  successful,  for  the  riflemen  retreated  before  the  charg- 
ing column  slowly,  still  firing  as  they  retired.  When  Ferguson's  men 
returned  to  regain  their  position  on  the  mountain,  the  patriots  would 
again  rally  and  pursue  them.  In  one  of  these  charges,  Shelby's  column 
was  considerably  broken  ;  he  rode  back  and  rallied  his  men,  and  when 
the  enemy  retired  to  the  summit,  he  pressed  on  his  men  and  reached 
the  summit  whilst  Ferguson  was  directing  a  pharge  against  Cleveland. 

Col.  Sevier  reached  the  summit  about  the  same  time  with  Shelby. 
They  united  and  drove  back  the  enemy  to  one  end  of  the  ridge.  Cleve- 
land's and  Campbell's  columns  were  still  pressing  forward,  and  firing  as 
they  came  up.  The  slaughter  of  the  enemy  was  great,  and  it  was  evident 
that  further  resistance  would  be  unavailing  ;  still  Ferguson's  proud  heart 
could  not  think  of  surrender.  He  swore  "he  never  would  yield  to  such 
a  d — d  banditti,"  and  rushed  out  from  his  men,  sword  in  hand,  and  cut 
away  until  he  broke  his  sword,  and  was  shot  down.  His  men,  seeing 
cheir  leader  fall,  immedi.itcly  surrendered.  The  British  loss  in  killed  and 
prisoners  was  eleven  hundred  and  five.  Ferguson's  morning  report 
showed  a  force  of  eleven  hundred  and  twenty-five.  A  more  total  defeat 
was  not  practicable.  Our  loss  was  about  forty  killed.  Amongst  them 
wehadtn  mourn  the  death  of  Col.  WilHams,  a  most  gallant  and  efficient 
officer.     The  battle  lasted  one  hour. 

The  victors  encamped  on  the  mountain  that  night,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing took  up  their  line  of  march  for  the  mountains  under  a  bright  sun,  the 


If 


H  :  I 


5U 


S//I-:LI!V'S  sta  temext. 


first  tlicy  Iiiicl  scLMi  for  many  clays.  Tlicy  in;vdc  the  prisoners  c;\rry  llieir 
own  arms,  as  tlicy  could  not  have  carried  tlicni  in  any  other  way. 
Amongst  ilic  prisoners,  Shelby  foiuul  sonic  officers  who  had  fought  under 
him  a  few  weeks  i>revi()usly  at  Musj,'r()ve's  Mill.  They  said  they  had  l)een 
coni|)ellcd  to  join  Ferguson,  and  when  they  had  been  examined,  and  their 
account  found  to  be  correct,  tiicy  were  well  treated. 

Owing  to  the  numljcr  of  wounded,  and  the  destitution  of  the  army  of 
all  conveyances,  they  traveled  slowly,  and  in  one  week  had  only 
marched  about  forty  miles.  When  they  reached  Gilbert  Town,  a  week 
after  the  battle,  they  were  informed  by  a  paroled  officer,  that  he  had  seen 
eleven  patriots  hung  at  Ninety  Six  a  few  days  before,  for  l)cing  Rebels. 
Similar  cruel  and  unjustifiable  acts  had  been  committed  before.  In 
the  opinion  of  the  patriots,  it  required  retaliatory  measures  to  put  a  stop 
to  these  .atrocities.  A  cojiy  of  the  law  of  North  Carolina  was  ol)taincd, 
wiiich  authorized  two  magistrates  to  summon  a  jury,  and  fortliwith  to  try, 
and  if  found  guilty,  to  execute  ])ersons  who  had  violated  its  precepts. 
Under  tliis  l.iw,  tliirty-six  men  were  tried,  and  found  guilty  of  breaking 
open  houses,  killing  the  men,  and  turning  the  women  and  ciiildren  out 
of  doors,  and  burning  the  houses.  The  trial  was  concluded  late  at  night. 
The  execution  of  the  law  was  as  summary  as  the  trial.  Three  men  were 
hung  at  a  time,  until  nine  were  hung.  Three  more  were  tied  ready  to 
be  swung  off.  Shelby  interfered,  and  proposed  to  stop  it.  The  other 
officers  agreed,  and  the  three  men  who  supposed  they  had  seen  their 
last  liour,  were  untied.  One  of  them  said  to  Shelby,  "You  have  saved 
my  life,  and  I  will  tell  you  a  secret.  Tarleton  will  be  here  in  the 
morning.     A  woman  has  Ijrought  the  news." 

It  was  then  two  o'clock  at  night,  but  no  time  was  to  be  lost;  the  camp 
was  instantly  aroused,  everything  packed  up,  the  wounded  sent  into 
secret  hiding  places  in  the  mountains,  and  the  line  of  march  taken  up. 

The  next  day  it  rained  incessantly,  but  tl>e  army  continued  its  march 
without  stojjping,  until  they  crossed  the  Catawba  at  two  o'clock  the  suc- 
ceeding night.  The  river  was  breast  high  when  they  crossed  it.  Tiie 
weary  troops  bivouacked  on  its  banks,  and  tlic  next  morning  it  had  ri^en 
so  much  as  to  be  past  fording.  This  obstacle  being  such  as  to  prevent 
all  pursuit,  they  leisurely  retired  with  their  prisoners.  As  an  e\idence 
of  tiie  hardships  undergone  by  these  brave  and  hardy  patriots.  Col. 
Shelby  says,  that  he  ate  nothing  from  Saturday  morning  until  after  they 
encamped  Sunday  night  at  two  o'clock,  A.   M. 

The  information  given  Shelljy  by  the  condemned  prisoners,  turned 
ovit  to  have  been  sul^stantially  correct.  Lord  Cornwallis  had  detached 
'I'arleton  to  jnnsue  and  attack  the  i)atriots,  and  to  rescue  the  prisoners. 
Soon  after  Tarleton  was  dispatched,  the  former  took  an  old  Whig  pris- 
oner, and  examined  him.  He  told  the  prisoner  he  could  not  learn  who 
had   defeated    Ferguson.     The   old   man   told    him.     Cornwallis    then 


%& 


fil! 


APPENDIX. 


545 


ny  their 
ler  w:>y. 
;lu  uiulcr 
M(l  been 
;uul  their 

army  of 
liad  only 
I,  a  wcelc 
had  seen 
[f  Rebels. 
:forc.  In 
[)vit  a  stop 
obtained, 
,'ith  to  try, 

precepts. 
Fbrealving 
lildren  out 
l;  at  night. 

men  were 
cl  ready  to 
The  other 
seen  their 

xvc  saved 
in    tiic 

the  camp 
sent  into 
aken  up. 
its  march 
the  suc- 
it.     The 
had  ri-.en 
to  prevent 
evidence 
lots,    Col. 
after  they 

rs,  turned 

detached 

prisoners. 

^Vhig  pris- 

learn  who 

allis    then 


inquired  the  force  of  the  patriots.  He  told  him  it  was  three  thousand 
ritlenien.  Cornwallis  asked  where  they  were  gone.  He  replied,  they 
were  bearing  down  on  him.  Whether  this  was  told  under  the  belief 
that  it  was  true,  or  told  as  a  ruse  dc  gucnr,  it  ar.swered  a  very 
excellent  purpose.  Lords  Cornwallis  and  Rawdon  immediately  con- 
sulted together,  beat  to  arms,  struck  their  tents,  burnt  some  extra  cloth- 
ing, and  retreated  to  the  south  side  of  Broad  river  in  confusion.  At  the 
same  time,  a  messenger  was  sent  to  recall  Tarletou,  who  w.is  (jvertaken 
after  he  l-.ad  proceeded  eighteen  miles,  and  who  immediately  returned 
to  Cornwallis'  camp. 

At  the  time  Shelby  and  his  co-patriots  raised  their  force,  Cornwallis, 
supposing  he  would  mett  no  further  serious  resistance  in  North  or 
South  Carolina,  had  projected  the  invasion  of  Virginia  in  three  columns. 
He  was  to  advance  in  the  centre,  a  second  detachment  was  to  march  on 
his  right,  and  Ferguson  was  to  command  the  left  wing.  The  time  for 
the  invasion  was  fi.Kcd,  officers  were  out  through  the  country  collecting 
the  Tories,  and  a  few  days  more  would  have  made  them  very  strong. 
The  defeat  of  Ferguson  prevented  this  invasion,  and  so  intimidated  the 
Tories,  that  most  of  them  declined  joining  the  British,  gener.diy  ])refer- 
ring  to  make  a  profession  of  faith  to  Xing  George  rather  than  take  up 
arms  in  his  behalf. 

At  the  time  the  nine  hundred  and  ten  men  were  selected  to  pursue 
Ferguson,  they  were  informed  that  there  were  six  hundred  Tories  em- 
bodied near  them,  and  it  was  sug";ested  that  they  should  be  attacked. 
Shelby  opposed  this,  saying  that  if  they  turned  after  any  other  object 
they  would  lose  Ferguson. 

After  the  battle  at  King's  Mountain,  this  force,  like  all  other  partisan 
bodies  called  out  for  a  particular  emergency,  was  difficult  to  be  kept  em- 
bodied. The  men  one  after  another  returned  home,  so  that  when  they 
reached  the  Catawba  there  were  not  more  men  than  prisoners. 

It  is  impossible  for  those  who  have  not  lived  in  its  midst,  to  conceive 
of  the  exasperation  which  prevails  in  a  civil  war.  The  execution,  there- 
fore, of  the  nine  Tories  at  Gilbert  Town,  will  by  many  persons  be  con- 
sidered an  act  of  retaliation  unnecessarily  cruel.  It  was  believed  by 
those  who  were  on  the  ground,  to  be  both  necessary  and  proper,  for  the 
purpose  of  putting  a  stop  to  the  execution  of  the  patriots  in  the  Carolinas 
by  the  Tories  and  British.  The  event  proved  the  justice  of  the  expec- 
tation of  the  patriots.  The  execution  of  the  Tories  did  stop  the  execu- 
tion of  the  Whigs.  And  it  may  be  remarked  of  this  cruel  and  lamenta- 
ble mode  of  retaliation,  that  whatever  excuses  and  i)rctences  the  Tories 
may  have  had  for  their  atrocities,  the  British  officers,  who  often  ordered 
the  execution  of  Whigs,  had  none.  Their  training  to  arms  and  military 
education,  should  have  prevented  them  from  violating  the  rules  of  civ- 
ilized warfare  in  so  essential  a  point. 


546 


GRAHAM'S  ACCOUNT. 


Those  patriots  wlio  clcsircd  to  continiic  in  the  service  after  tlie  battle 
at  King's  Mountain,  especially  the  refugees,  v;islie(l  to  be  formed  into  a 
corps  anil  to  i)e  undei  the  command  of  (len.  Morgan.  To  effect  thij 
Col.  Shelby  went  to  hcad-qtiartcrs  and  saw  Morgan,  who  said  tliey  were 
just  the  men  he  wanted,  (ien.  dates  roiisented,  and  the  Hoard  of  War 
of  North  Carolina  ordered  out  these  niililia,  who  marched  npand  joined 
Morgan;  most  of  them  were  with  him  tlie  next  campaign,  and  jiroved 
the  bluff  they  were  made  of  at  the  nobly-won  battle  of  the  Cowpens. 


BATTLE  OF  KING'S  MOUNTAN.— BY  GEN.  JOSEPH  GRAHAM.* 


t\ 


m 


After  the  defeat  of  Gen.  Gates  and  the  army  under  his  command,  on 
the  i6th  of  August,  1780,  and  the  defeat  of  Gen.  Sumter,  two  days  after- 
wards, near  Rocky  Mount,  by  Col.  Tarleton,  the  South  was  almost  entirely 
abandoned  to  the  enemy.  Most  of  the  troops,  both  officers  and  men, 
who  had  escaiicd  from  Gates'  defeat,  passed  through  Charlotte,  N.  C, 
where  most  of  the  militia  (<f  Mecklenburg  County,  were  assembled  in 
consequence  of  the  alarm.  Tlie  regular  troops  chiefly  passed  on  to 
Hillsboro',  where  Gen.  Gates  finally  estal)lishcd  his  head-quarters. 
William  L.  Davidson,  who  had  served  as  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the 
regulars  in  the  Northern  army,  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  the 
militia  in  the  Salisbury  District,  in  the  place  of  Gen.  Rutherford,  who 
was  taken  prisoner  at  Gates'  defeat.  He  formed  a  brig.ide,  and 
encamped  on  Mc.Vlpin's  creek,  about  eight  miles  below  Charlotte,  and 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks  was  reinforced  by  Gen.  Sumner,  a 
Continental  officer,  but  having  no  regulars  to  command,  he  took  com- 
mand of  the  militia  from  the  counties  of  Guilford,  Caswell,  Orange,  Sec, 

After  Gates'  defeat,  the  attention  of  Lord  Cornvvallis  was  chiefly 
occupied  with  burying  the  dead,  taking  care  of  the  wounded,  and  for- 
warding, under  suitable  guards,  the  great  number  of  prisoners  he  had 
taken,  to  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  regulating  the  civil  government  he 
was  establishing  in  South  Carolina,  and  examining  the  state  of  the  posts 
occupied  by  his  troops  on  the  Congaree,  Ninety  Six  and  August.i.  By  the 
1st  of  September,  he  had  his  arrangements  made,  and  detached  Col. 
Ferguson  over  the  Wateree  with  only  one  hundred  and  ten  regulars, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  DePeyster,  and  about  the  Fame  number  of 
Tories,  but  with  .m  ample  supply  of  arms  and  otlicr  military  stores.     His 

*Gen.  Grtiham  w.-xs  in  the  hospital  at  the  time  tlie  b.ittlc  was  for.(;ht.  and  gained  his 
knowledge  of  the  action  from  tho-^c  who  participated  in  it.  He  subsequently  visited  the 
battle  Rrnund  with  a  son  of  one  of  the  ofhccrs.  He  errs  as  to  the  position  occupied  by  Col. 
Shelby,  which,  according  to  his  own  statement,  was  on  the  left  center,  or  north-west  side 
of  the  mountain.  The  number  executed  is  over-stated  This  paper  first  appeared  in  the 
Southern  I.itrrary  Messenger,  Uir  September,  1845,  and  was  afterwards  copied  into  Foote's 
Sketches  0/  North  Carolina,  and  the  North  Carolina  University  Magazine  iox  April,  1856. 


II ! 


APPENDIX, 


647 


c  biittle 
(I  into  a 
Tect  thb 
icy  were 
of  War 
(l  joined 
proved 

ICIIS. 


UIAM.* 

iiand,  on 
ays  after- 
st  entirely 
and  men, 
te.  N.  C. 
:mbled  in 
ied  on  to 
-quarters, 
lel  of  the 
•ral  of  llie 
ford,  who 
r.ide,  and 

lottc,  and 

umner,  a 
took  com- 

ange,  &c. 

vs  chiefly 
and  for- 

s  he  had 

nmcnt  he 
tlie  posts 
.     Ry  the 

chcd  Col. 
re.q;ulars, 
umber  of 

ores.     His 

d  gained  his 
y  visited  the 
pied  by  Col. 
rth-west  side 
ared  in  the 
[1  into  Foote's 
April,  1856. 


movements  wore  nt  first  rapid,  endeavoring  to  intercept  the  retreat  of  a 
party  of  moiinl.iin  men,  who  were  iiarassinj;  tiie  upper  settlement  of 
Tories  in  South  Carolina.  I'aiiin};  in  this,  he  afterwards  moved  slowly, 
and  tVetpiently  halted  t(j  collect  all  the  Tories  he  could  persuade  to  join 
him.  He  passed  llroad  river,  and  before  the  last  of  .September  en- 
camped at  a  place  called  Gilbert  Town,  within  a  short  distance  of  where 
the  thrivinj^  village  of  Ruthcrfordton  now  stands. 

His  forces  had  increased  to  upwards  of  one  thousand  men.  On  liis 
march  to  this  place,  he  had  furnished  arms  to  sucii  of  his  new  recruits 
as  were  without  them.  The  greater  part  of  them  had  rifles,  but  to  a  part 
of  them  he  had  them  to  fix  a  large  knife  they  usually  carried,  ni.ide  small 
enough  at  the  butt  enil  for  two  inches  or  more  of  the  h.uulle  to  sl:|)  into 
tht  muzzle  of  the  rifle,  so  that  it  might  be  occasionally  used  as  a  bayonet. 

Although  Col.  Ferguson  failed  to  overtake  the  detachment  of  uKJun- 
tain  men  alluded  to,  he  took  two  of  them  prisoners,  who  had  become 
separated  from  their  comrades.  In  a  day  or  two,  he  paroled  them,  and  en- 
joined them  to  inform  the  officers  on  the  western  waters,  that  if  they  did 
not  desist  from  their  opposition  to  the  British  arms,  and  take  protection, 
under  his  standard,  that  he  would  march  his  army  over  the  moun- 
tains, hang  their  leaders,  and  lay  the  country  waste  wiih  fire  and  sword. 

Col.  Charles  McDowell,  of  Buike  County,  on  the  approach  of  Fergu- 
son with  so  largea  force,  had  gone  over  the  mountains  to  obtain  assistance, 
and  was  in  consulation  with  Col.  John  Sevier  and  Col.  Isaac  Shelby  what 
plan  should  be  pursued,  when  the  two  j>aroled  men  spoken  of  arrived, 
and  delivered  tiicir  message  from  Col.  Ferguson. 

It  was  decided  that  each  of  them  should  use  his  best  efforts  to  raise 
all  the  men  th.it  could  be  enlisted,  and  that  their  forces  when  collected, 
should  meet  on  the  Watauga,  on  the  25th  of  September.  It  was  also 
agreed,  that  Col.  Shelby  should  give  intelligence  of  their  movements  to 
Col.  William  Campbell  of  the  adjoining  County  of  Washingion,  in  Vir- 
gina,  with  the  hope  that  he  would  raise  what  force  he  could,  and  c()oi)erate 
with  them. 

They  met  on  the  Watauga  the  day  appointed,  and  passed  the  moun- 
tain on  the  30th  of  Sept.,  where  they  were  joined  by  Col.  Benjamin 
Cleveland  and  Maj.  Joseph  Winston,  from  Wilkes  and  Surry  Counties. 

On  examining  their  forces,  they  were  found  to  number  as  follows: 
From  Washington  County,  Virginia,  under  Col.  W.  Campbell,  400 

From  Sullivan  County,  North  Carolina,  under  Col.  Isaac  Slielby,         240 
From  W.ashington,  North  Carolina,  under  Col.  John  Sevier, 
From  Burke  and  Rutherford  Counties,  N.  C,  under  Col.  Charles 
ft   McDowell,  .       ^  , 

From  Wilkes  and  Surry  Counties,  North  Carohna,  under  Col. 

Benj.  Cleveland  and  Major  Joseph  Winston, 

Total, 


I3< 

a 

\ 

548 


ilR.lI/.lM'S  ACCOC.WT. 


Col.  Ferguson  having  accurate  intelligom-:;  of  the  force  collecting 
against  him,  early  on  the  fourth  of  (')ctol)er,  ordered  his  nu-n  to  march, 
am!  rcmami'il  half  an  houiafler  they  hatl  st.irted  wiitinij  a  ilispatch  to  Lonl 
Cornwaliis,  no  ilouht  intoiining  lum  of  his  situation,  and  soiiiilin;^'  aiil. 
The  letter  w.is  (omniiilcd  to  the  care  of  the  noli'tl  ;\hr.diain  Collins, 
(-.inceof  coiintciieU  memory,)  and  another  person,  l)y  the  n.mu'  of  (Uiin, 
with  injimctions  to  deliver  it  as  soon  as  possihle.  Tlu-y  set  out,  and 
attempted  to  pass  the  direct  road  to  Charlotte,  hut  h.iving  to  ])ass 
through  some  Whig  settlements,  they  were  suspected  and  pursued,  and 
hcing  compelled  to  secrete  themselves  by  day,  and  travel  l>\  night,  they 
ilid  not  reach  Ch.irlotte  until  tlie  morning  of  the  7th  t)f  October  (the 
day  of  the  battle).  Col.  Ferguson  encamped  the  fnsl  night  at  the 
noted  place  called  the  ('cTi'/tV/.v,  about  twenty  miles  from  (iill)ert  Town. 
On  the  5th  t)f  October,  he  crossed  Broad  Ki\er  at  what  is  now  called 
Deer's  Ferry,  sixteen  miles.  On  the  6lh  he  inarched  up  the  Ritlge  Road, 
between  the  waters  of  King's  ami  liultalo  creeks,  until  he  c.une  to 
tile  foilv  turning  to  the  right,  across  King's  creek,  and  through  a  gap  ot 
the  mountain  towards  N'orkville,  about  t'ourteen  miles.  Then  he  en- 
c.vmped  on  the  sunnnit  of  that  part  of  the  mountain  to  the  right  of  the 
1(1. id,  where  he  rcm.iined  until  he  was  attacked  on  the  7th. 

When  the  troops  from  the  different  Counties  met,  at  the  head  of  the 
i"atawba  river,  the  commanding  officers  met,  and  tinding  that  they 
were  all  of  equal  grade,  and  no  general  officer  to  command,  it  was 
de(  ided  that  Col.  Charles  McDowell  should  go  to  Mead-Quarters,  sup- 
posed to  be  between  Charlotte  .iiul  S.disbnry,  to  obtain  Cen.  Suiniu'r  or 
C.en.  Davidson  to  take  the  ( ommaiul.  In  the  mean;ime,  it  was  agreed 
tliat  Col.  WiMi.im  Campl)ell,  who  had  the  i.irgest  rirgiment,  should  take 
the  cominaiul  until  the  arrival  of  a  general  officer,  who  was  to  ait 
.iccoiding  to  the  advice  of  the  C  Olonels  commaiuling,  ami  that  M,ij.  Joseph 
McDo.vell  should  t.dce  the  command  of  the  Hurke  ami  I'iutherford  regi- 
ment, until  tlie  return  of  Col.  McDowell. 

Shortly  after  these  measures  were  adopted,  intelligence  was  received 
that  Col.  Ferguson  iiad  left  (lilbert  Town,  and  it  w.is  decided  that  they 
woulil  march  after  him,  by  that  ])lace,  .md  on  their  w.iy  received  evidence 
tiiat  it  was  his  design  to  evade  an  engagement  with  tlu'in.  On  the 
evening  of  the  6th  |4th|  of  October,  the  Colonels  in  council  unanimously 
resolved,  th.it  tliey  would  select  ,\ll  the  men  and  horses  tit  for  service,  and 
immediately  luirsiie  Ferguson  until  they  should  overtake  him,  leaving 
such  as  were  not  able  to  go,  to  come  after  as  fast  as  they  could.  The 
nest  evening  the  selection  was  made,  ami  nine  hundred  and  ten  men, 
including  officers,  were  inarched  before,  leaving  the  others  to  follow. 

They  came  to  the  Co.vpens,  where  Ferguson  hatl  camped  on  the 
night  of  the  4th,  and  there  met  Col.  Williams,  of  .South  Carolina,  with 
ne.ir  four  huiulied  men,   and  .ibout  sixty  from  Lincoln  County,  who  had 


Kii 


AlTEXn/X. 


549 


It  was 
MS,  sup- 
iniuT  oi- 
ls ai^ri'cil 
)ulil  take 
IS  lo  :ut 

]()Sl'l)ll 

Old  ici;i- 

icreivcd 

tliat  thoy 

cvidt'iue 

On    Iho 

iiiimtmsly 

i\  ii'o.aiul 

,  leaving 

111.     Tlu" 

U'u  men, 

liiW. 

(1  on  the 

liina,  with 

whu  had 


jdined  ihoni  on  tlioir  marrh,  under  C'ol.  ILuuhiii^lit  and  Maj.  ("lironicle 
Alter  (lia\vin<;  rations  of  jjcef,  tlie  whole  prijecctlcd  on,  a  little  helure 
sunset,  takin<(  Kcij^uson's  trail  towards  IJecr's  Ferry,  on  liroad  ii\ii. 
Nif^iit  roniinj;-  on,  and  being  very  dark,  their  pilot  got  out  of  the  right 
way,  anil  for  some  time  they  were  lost ;  but  before  daylight  they  reached 
near  to  the  ferry,  and  by  ilirei  lion  of  the  oftleers,  the  pilot  led  them  to  the 
Cherokee  ford,  about  a  mile  ami  a  lialf  below,  as  it  was  not  known  bit 
the  enemy  might  be  in  possession  of  tlu-  easti'in  bank  of  the  river.  !t 
was  on  the  morniiig  of  the  7th  before  sunrisi-,  when  tlu'V  cidsseil  the 
river,  and  marched  about  two  miles  to  the  |)lai  e  wlu'ie  Feiguson  had 
encamped  on  the  night  of  the  5th. 

There  they  hailed  a  short  lime,  anil  took  suih  lireakfast  as  their  wal- 
lets and  saildle-bags  could  afford.  The  tlay  was  showery,  and  tiiey  were 
obliged  lo  use  iheir  blankets,  and  their  great  coats,  to  protect  their  arms 
from  wet.  They  passeil  on  a  dozen  miles  without  seeing  any  person  ; 
at  length,  they  met  a  lad,  in  an  old  field,  by  the  name  of  I'Onderin,  about 
twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  who  had  a  brother  and  other  relations  in 
Ferguson's  canij),  and  who  was  directly  from  it— within  less  than  three 
miles.  A  halt  was  ordered,  and  the  Coloiu'ls  met  in  consultation. 
Several  persons  knew  the  ground  well  on  w  liii  li  the  enemy  w.is  cncimpid, 
agreeable  to  the  information  gi\en  by  the  boy  of  their  i>osition.  The 
plan  of  bailie  was  immediately  settled,  that  the  force  should  lie 
nearly  equally  divided,  and  one  half  would  lake  to  the  right,  cross  over 
and  occupy  the  south-east  side  of  the  mount, liii,  and  that  the  other 
should  advance  lo  the  north-west  side,  and  that  e.u  li  division  would 
move  forward  until  they  formed  a  junction,  when  all  should  lace  10 
the  front,  and  j.iess  upon  the  enemy  up  the  sides  of  the  mountain. 
(Orders  were  given  to  prepare  for  battle,  by  laying  aside  every  incuin- 
br.mce,  e.\amining  well  itieir  arms,  and  guarding  against  alarm.  The 
orders  were  speedily  obeyed,  and  they  moved  lorwinl  o\ii  King's 
creek,  and  up  a  branch  and  ravine,  and  between  tw(;  rocky  knol)s, 
which,  when  they  had  passed,  the  toj)  of  the  mountain  and  the  enemy's 
camp  upon  it,  were  in  full  view,  about  one  hiiiuhed  |)oles  in  liont.  Ibie 
thev  h.ilted,  and  tied  their  horses,  leaving  the  necessary  gu.ird  w  ilh  lliem. 
It  was  now  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

The  enemy's  c.imp  was  lo  the  right  of  the  ro.id,  seventy  or  eighty 
poles  in  length,  and  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  which  at  lais  pl.ic 
runs  nearly  north-east  and  south-west,  the  shadow  of  the  limber  at  halt- 
past  one  P.  M.,  ranges  with  it.  The  lroo|)s  were  led  on  in  the  following 
order:— To  the  right,  M.ij.  Winston,  I'ol.  Sevier,  Col.  Campbell,  Col. 
Shelby  and  Major  INlcDowell  -To  the  left,  Col.  llambright.  Col.  Cleve- 
land, and  Col.  Williams,  of  South  Carolina. 

F.ach  division  uK.ved  off  steadily  to  the  place  assigned  it  in  the  order 
ofb.ittle.     Some  of  the  regiments  sulfeied  much  under  tiie  galling    fire 


Hi 


m 


"t  ' 


r  1' 


650 


(J  R  A  HAM'S  ACCOUNT. 


of  the  enemy,  before  they  were  ill  a  position  to  enga^je  in  the  action. 
Sonic  complaints  began  to  be  utleied,  that  it  would  ncvir  do  to  be  shot 
down  without  relm  ning  the  fire.  Col.  Shelby  replied — "press  on  to  your 
places,  and  then  your  lire  will  not  be  k)st." 

The  men  lotl  by  Shelby  and  McUowcil  were  soon  closely  engaged, 
and  the  contest  from  the  first  was  very  severe.  Williams  and  Cleveland 
were  soon  in  their  places,  and  with  tiie  utmost  energy  engaged  the  foe. 
Ferguson  finding  that  the  end  of  his  line  was  giving  away,  ordered  for- 
ward his  regulars  and  riflemen  with  bayonets,  and  made  a  furious 
charge  upon  Shelby  and  McDowell,  charging  down  the  mountain  some 
two  hundred  yards.  A  united  and  destructive  fire  soon  compelled  hmi 
to  order  his  party  back  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  to  ward  off  the  dcailly 
attack  fioni  Col.  Williams.  Ferguson  again  charged  with  fury  down 
the  mountain.  When  Shelby's  men  saw  this,  they  raised  the  cry,  "come 
on,  men,  the  enemy  is  retreating."  They  rallied  by  the  time  Ferguson 
returned  from  the  charge  against  tlie  South  Carolinans,  and  renewed 
their  fire  with  great  resolution.  Ferguson  again  charged  upon  Shelby, 
but  not  so  far  as  before.  Col.  Williams'  men,  in  turn,  called  out,  "the 
enemy  Is  retreating,  come  on,  men  !" 

At  this  stage  of  the  action,  Hambright  and  Winston  had  met,  and  a 
brisk  fire  was  poured  upon  Ferguson's  men  all  around  tlie  mountain. 
As  he  Vvould  advance  towards  Campbell,  Sevier,  Winston,  and  Ham- 
bright,  he  was  |)ursucd  by  Shelby,  McDowell,  Williams  and  Cleveland. 
When  he  woulil  turn  his  forces  against  tlie  hitter,  the  former  won  1  press 
on  in  pursuit.  Thus  he  struggled  on,  making  charges  and  retreats,  but 
his  left  was  rapidly  losing  ground.  His  men  were  rapidly  falling  before 
the  skillful  aim,  and  unbending  courage,  of  the  Whigs.  Even  after  being 
wounded,  he  fought  on  with  courage.  He  made  every  effort  that  could 
be  done  by  a  brave  and  skillful  officer,  according  to  his  position.  At 
length  he  was  shot  dead,  and  his  whole  command  driven  up  into  a 
group  of  sixty  yards  in  length,  and  not  forty  in  width. 

The  British  officer,  Capt.  DcPcystcr,  who  took  the  command,  ordered 
a  white  tlag  to  be  raised,  in  token  of  surrender,  but  the  bearer  was  in- 
stantly shot  down.  He  soon  had  another  raised,  and  called  out  for 
quarter.  Col.  Shelby  demanded,  if  they  surrendered,  why  they  did  not 
tluo^v  down  their  arms  ?  This  was  instantly  done.  Rut  still  the  firing 
was  continued,  until  Shelby  and  Sevier  went  inside  the  lines,  and  or- 
dered the  men  to  cease.  Some  who  kept  it  up,  would  call  out,  "give 
them  Buford's  play"— alluding  to  Col.  Buford's  defeat  by  Tarleton, 
where  no  quarters  were  given.  A  guard  was  placed  over  the  prisoners, 
and  all  remained  on  the  mountain  during  the  night. 

The  party  which  led  the  left  wing  under  Col.  Hambright,  suffered 
very  much,  having  to  pass  very  difficult  ground  to  reach  their  place  of 
destination,  and  within  eighty  yards  of  the  enemy's   marksmen.     Col. 


ordered 
was  in- 
(Hit  for 
did  not 
the  firing 
and  or- 
ul,  "Rive 
Tarkton, 
prisoners, 

suffered 
place  of 
tn.     Col. 


APPENDIX. 


651 


Hambri^ht  was  wounded,  and  Maj.  Chronicle  was  killed.  Col.  Wil- 
liams, of  South  Carolina,  a  brave  and  efficient  officer,  was  also  killed. 
The  loss  of  the  Whigs  was  not  exactly  ascertained,  but  believed  to  be 
about  tliirty  killed,  and  fifty  wounded.  The  enemy  had  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  killed,  and  all  the  rest  taken  prisoners.  On  the  morning 
of  the  8th  [14th],  a  court-martial  was  held,  several  of  the  prisoners  who 
were  found  guilty  of  murder,  and  other  high  crimes,  were  sentenced  to 
be  hanged.     About  twenty  [nine  only]  were  executed. 


[From  Wheeler's  History  of  North  Carolina.^ 


[An   account  of  the   Battle   of  Kint^'s    Mountain,   prepared   by  Gen. 

William   Lenoir  for  Judge  A.  D.   Murphy's  intended 

History    of  North    Caroliita.\ 


Having  lately  seen  in  the  State  Gazette,  a  publication  of  Mr.  Walker's 
circular  letter,  in  which  there  is  a  very  imperfect  statement  of  the  battle 
at  King's  Mountain,  brings  to  my  reco'lection  your  request  for  a  true 
account  thereof ;  and  having  previously  observed,  that  in  all  the  histories 
of  the  Fevolutionary  wai  that  I  have  seen,  the  accounts  of  that  battle  are 
very  erroneous,  induces  me  to  attempt  to  fulfill  your  desire  on  that  sub- 
ject, by  giving  you  as  perfect  an  account  of  that  transaction  from  my 
own  knowledge,  as  my  memory  at  so  distant  a  period  will  enable  me  to 
do. 

When  a  report  was  circulated  that  a  detachment  of  the  British  army 
had  advanced  through  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  and  a  part  of  North 
Carolina,  as  far  as  Cane  creek,  where  a  strong  party  of  them  were 
repulsed  by  the  neighboring  militia,  chiefly  of  I?urkc  County,  under  the 
command  of  Col.  Chas.  McDowell,  and  Maj.  J.  McDowell,  the  active 
Whigs  of  the  western  part  of  North  Carolina,  and  some  from  the  near 
part  of  Virginia,  like  patriots  at  a  moment's  notice,  without  any  call  from 
the  Government,  turned  out  and  concentrated  in  lUukc  County,  without 
any  aid  from  public  stores,  of  clothing,  arms,  ammunition,  or  any  article 
of  camp  equipage,  not  having  a  single  tent  or  baggage  wagon  amongst 
them,  and  advanced  to  Green  river,  near  the  southern  limit  of  Ruther- 
ford County,  where  they  received  some  further  but  im|)crfect  intormation 
of  the  progress  of  the  aforesaid  detachment  of  the  British  army,  com- 
manded by  the  celebrated  Col.  Ferguson,  who  was  said  to  be  progressing 
through  the  country  in  various  directions,  committing  great  ravages  and 
depredations. 

A  council  was  held  by  the  principal  officers  of  the  Whigs  ;  the  result 
of  which  was,  that,  on  presumption  that,  through  the  medium  of  the 


1^ 


LENOIR 'S  STA  TEMENT. 


Tories,  Col.  Ferguson  h;ul  daily  information  of  the  advancement  of  the 
Whigs,  and  was  so  on  the  alert,  tiiat  men  on  foot  would  ncjt  be  able  to 
overtake  him,  therefore  orders  were  given  for  as  many  as  had,  or  could 
procure,  horses,  to  go  in  advance  as  mour.tetl  infantry,  there  not  being  a 
single  dragoon  in  the  Wiiig  army.  \Viie'-eupon,  aliout  five  or  six 
hundred  were  preparetl  and  marched  off  about  sunrise  on  the  6t!i 
day  of  October,  1780,  leaving  tlie  footmen,  about  one  thousand  fi\'c  hun- 
dred in  number,  encamped  on  (heen  river,  under  the  command  of  Maj. 
Joseph  Herndon.  The  advance  party  of  mounted  infantry  being  joined 
by  Col.  Williams,  with  a  few  ''  .udi  Carolina  militia,  in  the  evening 
arrived  at  a  place  called  the  Cowpens,  in  South  Carolina,  where  two 
beeves  were  killed,  and  orders  given  for  the  men  to  cook  and  eat  as 
quick  as  possible  ;  but  marching  orders  were  given  before  those  that  were 
indolent  had  prepared  anything  to  eat ;  and  they  marclicd  all  night  (being 
dark  and  rainy),  and  crossed  Broad  river  the  next  morning,  where  an 
attack  was  expected.  But  not  finding  the  enemy,  the  detachment  almost 
exhausted  by  fatigue,  hunger,  cold  and  wet,  and,  for  want  of  sleep, 
pursued  their  march  a  few  miles,  when  they  met  two  men  from  Col. 
Ferguson's  camp,  who  gave  some  account  of  his"  situation.  Tiion  being 
revived  by  the  hopes  of  gaining  tlie  desired  object,  the  officers  held  a 
short  consultation — sitting  on  their  horses — in  which  it  was  concluded 
that  said  detachment  should  be  formed  into  four  columns;  two  of  the 
columns  should  march  on  each  side  of  the  road,  as  silently  as  they  could, 
and  that  they  sliould  govern  their  march  by  the  view  of  each  other  ;  Col. 
Winston  w.is  placed  at  the  head  f)f  the  right  hand  column  ;  Col.  Cleve- 
land at  tlic  head  of  the  left ;  and  Cols.  Shelby  and  Sevier  at  the  heads  of 
the  two  middle  columns ;  and  as  Col.  Campbell  had  come  the  greatest 
distance,  and  from  the  State  of  Virginia,  he  was  complimented  with  the 
command  of  the  whole  detachment. 

When  they  had  marched  in  that  order  about  a  mile,  Col.  Winston, 
Ijy  a  steep  hill,  had  got  so  far  separated  from  the  other  columns  as  to  be 
out  cf  sight  or  hearing  of  them,  when  some  men  rode  in  sight  and  di- 
rected him  to  dismount,  and  march  up  the  hill,  which  was  immediately 
done,  with  an  expectation  of  meeting  the  enemy  on  the  hill  ;  but  before 
his  men  had  atlvanced  tw)  hundred  paces  from  their  horses,  they  were 
again  hailed,  and  directed  to  mount  their  horses  and  push  on,  and  that 
the  enemy  was  a  mile  ahead.  On  wliich  they  ran  with  great  precipitation 
dov/n  to  their  horses,  mounted  them,  and  rode  like  fox  hunters,  as  fast  as 
their  horses  could  run,  through  rough  woods,  crossing  branches  and 
ridges  without  any  person  that  had  .my  knowledge  of  the  woods  to  direct 
or  guide  them.  They  happened  to  fall  in  upon  the  left  of  the  enemy, 
the  ]3lace  of  their  destination.  At  this  very  moment  the  firing  began  on 
the  other  parts  of  the  lines,  when  all  dismounted  under  the  fire  of  die 
enemy,  and  the  right  and  left  hand  columns  surrounded  them  as  quick 


APPENDIX. 


553 


Col. 


as  possible.  Ill  the  meantime,  the  enemy  charged  bayonets  on  the  two 
middle  columns,  who  being  armed  witli  rifles,  and  not  a  single  bayonet 
amongst  them,  were  twice  obliged  to  retreat  a  small  distance  ;  but  they 
wheeled  again  with  increased  vigor,  and  fouglit  bravely.  The  enemy 
being  surrounded,  their  left  wing  began  to  retreat,  by  drawing  up  in 
closer  order  towards  their  right.  At  length  they  hoisted  a  flag  and  sur- 
rendered themselves  prisoners  of  war  ;  not  a  single  man  of  tlicm  escaped 
that  was  in  camp  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle. 

After  the  arms  and  prisoners  were  secured,  some  men  were  appointed 
to  number  the  dead.  They  reported  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
enemy  ;  and  thirty-two  of  the  Wliigs.  There  were  not  near  so  many  of 
the  enemy  wounded  as  were  of  the  Whigs,  about  forty  of  whom  after- 
wards died  of  their  wounds.  The  total  number  of  llic  Whigs  in  the 
battle  was  between  six  and  seven  hundred;  and  the  number  of  the 
enemy,  agreeable  to  their  daily  returns,  w;is  eleven  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven.  The  Whigs  camped  on  the  Ijattle-ground,  and  marched  off  with 
their  prisoners  the  next  day  ;  and,  having  no  other  way  to  secure  tiie 
arms  taken,  compelled  the  prisoner.;  to  carry  tiiem,  a  great  number  of 
them  having  to  carry  two  guns  each.  Aljout  sunset  we  met  the  footmen 
they  had  left  at  Green  river,  who  had  provided  a  plenty  of  rations,  &c. 
The  Whigs  who  had  fought  the  Ijattle  were  almost  famished, 

A  few  days  afterwards,  in  Rutherford  County,  the  in-incip;il  officers 
held  a  court-martial  over  some  of  the  most  audacious  and  inuiderous 
Tories,  and  selected  thirty-two  as  victims  for  destruction  ;  and  commenced 
han^jing  three  at  a  time  until  they  hung  nine,  and  respited  tlie  rest. 

Col.  Ferguson  had  pl.iced  himself  on  the  top  of  King's  Mountain 
the  morning  before  tlie  battle;  in  a  Jjoasting  manner  he  hatl  jiroclaiined 
that  here  was  King's  Mountain,  and  tliat  he  was  the  King  of  that  Mount- 
ain, supposing  it  to  be  a  very  advantageous  position  for  him  ;  but  it  proved 
the  reverse,  from  the  manner  he  was  attacked  and  surrounded.  His  ele- 
vated situation  secured  tlie  Whigs  from  the  danger  of  their  own  fire  from 
the  opposite  side,  anil  he,  being  surrounded,  when  his  men  sheltered  them- 
selves on  one  side,  they  were  exposed  to  danger  on  the  otlier.  Col. 
Ferguson  liad  seven  or  ciglit  iDullets  shot  through  him,  and  fell  some 
time  before  the  battle  was  over.  The  number  of  the  Whigs  was  so  inferior, 
tliat  Col.  Ferguson,  or  his  successor  in  command,  might  have  easily  re- 
treated with  very  inconsiderable  loss;  if  they  had  known  die  number 
and  situation  of  the  Whigs,  no  doul^t  but  they  would  have  retreated  in- 
stead of  surrendering. 

It  appears  that  under  the  auspices  of  the  same  Divine  Power  that  so 
advantageously  conducted  the  right  hand  column  of  the  Whigs  to  the 
battle  at  King's  Mountain,  from  that  period  good  fortune  seemed  to  pre-' 
ponderate  in  every  direction  in  favor  of  the  common  cause  of  liberty — 
except  the  single  instance  of  Gen.  Gates,  who  was  [previously]  defeated 


rit 


w.m 


* 


654 


LENO/R'S  STATEMENT. 


by  his  own  imprudence ;  for  althougli  the  British  army  kept  the  battle- 
ground at  (juilfoid  Court-House,  it  appears  to  be  given  up  on  both  sides, 
that  the  Americans  had  the  best  of  that  battle,  and  disabled  their  enemy. 
And  to  contrast  the  situation  of  the  Whigs  after  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  with  what  inevitably  would  have  been  their  situation  in  case 
Ferguson's  army  had  gained  as  complete  a  victory  over  the  Whigs,  as 
the  Whigs  had  done  over  them,  it  must  appear  that  said  battle  was  the 
most  decisive,  the  most  gloriously  fought,  and  although  few  in  number, 
was  of  the  greatest  importance  of  any  one  battle  that  ever  was  fought  in 
America.        *        *        *        * 

I  was  Captain  of  a  company  of  footmen,  and  left  them  at  Green 
river,  except  six  of  them,  who  procured  horses  and  went  with  us.  I 
went  as  a  common  soldier,  and  did  not  pretend  to  take  command  of 
those  tJKU  belonged  to  my  company ;  neither  did  I  join  any  other  com- 
pany; but  fell  in  immediately  behind  Col.  Winston,  in  front  of  the  right 
hand  column,  which  enables  me  to  give  a  more  particular  account  of 
the  progress  of  that  |)art  of  our  army  than  any  other.  Before  the  battle. 
Adjutant  Jesse  Franklin,  now  (governor  of  North  Carolina,  Capt.  Robt. 
Cleveland,  and  myself,  agreed  to  stand  together  and  support  each  other; 
but  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  enthusiastic  zeal  caused  us  all  to 
separate.  Each  being  anxious  to  effect  the  grand  object,  no  one  ap- 
peared to  regard  his  own  personal  safety.  As  to  my  own  part,  from 
where  we  dismounted,  instead  of  going  on  to  surround,  I  advanced  the 
nearest  way  towards  the  enemy,  under  a  heavy  tire,  until  I  got  within 
about  thirty  paces.  Before  they  began  to  give  ground,  being  among 
strangers,  I  noticed  one  particular  instance  cf  bravery.  On  hearing  a 
man  within  six  feet  behind  me  fall,  I  looked  r.round,  and  at  tliat  instant 
another  soldier  jumped  athim  saying.  "Give  me  your  shot-bag,  old  fel- 
low !"  his  own  ammunition  being  exhausted.  The  gallant  patriot  gave 
him,  with  his  dying,  hand  his  ammunition.  About  that  time,  I  received  a 
slight  wound  in  my  side,  and  another  in  my  left  arm;  and,  after  that, 
a  bullet  went  through  my  hair  about  where  it  was  tied,  and  my  clothes 
were  cut  in  several  places.  From  the  account  I  have  given  of  tlie  battle, 
it  will  l)e  imderstood  that  it  was  fought  on  our  side  by  militia  alone.  By 
that  victory,  many  militia  otTicers  procured  swords  who  ccnild  not  possi- 
bly get  any  before  ;  neither  was  it  possible  to  procure  a  good  supply  of 
ammunition. 


[From  the  Ainvrimn  Pioneer,  Feb.  1843.] 

BATTLE  OF  KING'S  MOUNTAIN. 

By  Benjamin  Sharp. 


As  well  as  I  can  remember,  some  time  in  August,  in  the  year  1780, 


'I  i 


APPENDIX. 


555 


Col.  McDowell,  of  North  Carolina,  with  three  or  four  Inindrcd  men,  fled 
over  tlie  inoiiiUaius  to  the  settlements  i  '  lIoKton  ami  Walau^'a,  to  evade 
the  pursuit  of  a  British  officer  by  the  name  of  Ferguson,  who  had  the 
command  of  a  large  detachment  of  British  and  Tories.  Our  militia 
speedily  embodied,  all  mounted  on  horses — the  Virginians  under  the 
command  of  Col.  William  Campbell,  and  the  two  western  counties  of 
North  Carolina,  now  Tennessee,  under  Cols.  Isaac  Shclliy  and  John 
Sevier;  and  as  soon  as  they  joined  McDowell,  he  re-crossed  the  moun- 
tains, and  formed  a  junction  with  Col.  Cleveland,  with  a  line  regiment 
of  North  Carolina  militia.  We  were  now  fifteen  or  eighteen  hundred 
strong,  and  consideretl  oursehes  equ.d  in  numliers,  or  at  least  a  match 
for  the  enemy,  and  eager  to  bring  them  to  battle;  but  Col.  McDowell, 
who  had  the  command,  appeared  to  think  otherwise,  for  although  Fer- 
guson had  retreated  on  our  crossing  the  mountains,  he  kept  us  marching 
and  counter-marching,  for  eight  or  ten  days  without  advancing  a  step 
towards  our  object.  At  length  a  council  of  the  field-officers  was  con- 
vened, and  it  was  said  in  canij),  how  true  I  will  not  pretend  to  say,  that 
he  refused  in  council  to  proceed  without  a  general  officer  to  command 
the  army,  and  to  get  rid  of  him,  the  coimcil  deputed  him  to  Gen.  Cireene, 
at  Head-Quarters,  to  procure  a  General.  Be  this  as  it  may,  as  soon  as 
the  council  rose,  Col.  McDowell  left  the  cam[),  and  we  saw  no  more  of 
him  during  the  expedition. 

As  soon  as  he  was  fairly  gone,  the  council  re-asscmblcd,  and  ap- 
pointed Col.  William  Campbell  our  cdmmamler,  and  wiiliin  one  hour 
after,  we  were  on  our  horses  and  in  full  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  The 
British  still  continued  to  retreat,  and  after  hard  marching  for  some  time, 
we  found  our  ])rogress  much  retarded  by  our  footmen  and  weak  horses 
that  were  not  al)le  to  sustain  the  duty.  It  was  then  resolved  to  leave  the 
footmen  and  weak  horses  underthe  command  of  Capt.  William  Neil,  of 
Virginia,  with  instructions  to  follow  as  fast  as  his  detachment  could  bear. 
Thus  disencumbered,  we  gained  fast  \\\>o\\  the  enemy.  I  think  on  the 
7th  [(')th]  day  of  October,  in  the  afternoon,  we  halted  at  a  jilace  calleil 
the  Cowjiens,  in  South  Carolina,  fed  our  horses,  and  ate  a  hasty  meal 
of  such  i)rovisions  as  we  had  piocured,  and,  by  dark  mountcil  our 
horses,  and  after  marching  all  night,  crossed  liroad  river  b\'  the  dawn  of 
da\';  antl  altluuigh  it  rained  considerably  in  t!ie  morning,  we  never 
halted  to  refresh  ourselves  or  horses.  About  twelve  o'clock  it  cleared 
off  with  a  fine  cool  breeze.  We  were  joined  that  day  [really,  the  night 
before]  by  Col.  Williams,  of  South  Carolina,  with  several  hundred  men; 
and  in  the  afternoon  fell  in  witli  three  men  who  informed  us  that  they 
were  just  from  the  British  camp,  that  tliey  were  posted  on  the  top  of 
King's  Mountain,  and  that  there  was  a  picket-guard  on  the  road  not  far 
ahead  of  us.  These  men  were  detained  lest  they  should  find  means  to 
inform  the  enemy  of  our  approach,  and  Col.  Shelby,  with  a  select  party. 


tUi 


I  r 


l!,i;i 


J 


556 


SHARP'S  NARRATIVE. 


undertook  to  surprise  and  take  the  picket ;  this  he  accomplished  witliout 
firing  II  gun  or  giving  the  least  alarm,  and  it  was  hailed  by  the  army 
as  a  good  omen. 

We  then  moved  on,  and  as  we  approached  the  mountain,  the  roll  of 
the  British  drum  informed  us  tliat  we  had  something  to  do.  No  doubt 
tlie  British  commander  thought  his  position  a  strong  one  ;  but  our  plan 
of  attack  was  such  as  to  make  it  the  worst  for  him  lie  could  iiave  chosen. 
The  end  of  the  mountain  to  our  left  descended  gradually  to  a  branch; 
in  front  of  us  the  ascent  was  rather  abrupt,  and  to  the  right  was  a  low 
gap  through  w'lich  the  road  passed.  The  different  regiments  were 
directed  by  guides  to  the  ground  they  were  to  occupy,  so  as  to  surround 
the  eminence  on  which  the  Britisli  were  encamped ;  Campbell's  on  the 
right,  along  the  road;  Shelby's  next,  to  the  left  of  him;  Sevier's  next, 
and  so  on,  till  last  the  left  of  Cleveland's  to  join  the  right  of  Campbell's, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  at  the  road. 

Thus  the  British  Major  found  himself  attacked  on  all  sides  at  once, 
a.id  so  situated  as  to  receive  a  galling  fire  from  all  parts  of  our  lines 
without  doing  any  injury  to  ourselves.  From  this  difficulty,  he  attempted 
to  relieve  himself  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  but  failed  in  three  suc- 
cessive charges.  Cleveland,  who  had  the  farthest  to  go,  being  bothered 
in  some  swampy  ground,  did  not  occupy  his  position  in  the  line  till  late 
in  the  engagement.  A  fesv  men,  drawn  from  the  right  of  CampljcU's 
regiment,  occupied  this  vacancy  ;  this  the  British  commander  discovered, 
and  here  he  made  his  last  powerful  effort  to  force  his  way  through  and 
make  his  escape ;  but  at  that  instant  Cleveland's  regiment  came  up  in 
gallant  style;  the  Colonel,  himself,  coming  by  the  very  spot  I  occupied, 
at  which  time  his  horse  had  received  two  wounds,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
dismount.  Although  fat  and  unweildy,  he  advan  d  on  fool  with  signal 
bravery  ;  but  was  soon  rc-mounted  by  one  of  hi  officers,  who  brought 
him  another  horse.  This  threw  the  British  and  Tories  into  complete 
disorder,  and  Ferguson  seeing  that  all  was  lost,  determined  not  to  sur- 
vive the  disgrace;  he  liroke  his  sword,  and  sjjurred  his  horse  into  the 
thickest  of  our  ranks,  and  fell  covered  with  wounds,  and  shortly  after 
his  whole  army  surrendered  at  discretion.  The  action  lasted  about  one 
hour,  and  for  most  of  the  time  w.is  fierce  and  bloody. 

I  cannot  clearly  recollect  the  statement  of  our  loss,  given  at  the  time, 
but  my  impression  now  is  that  it  was  two  hundred  and  twenty-five 
killed,  and  about  as  many  or  a  few  more  wounded;  the  loss  of  the 
enemy  must  have  been  much  greater.  The  return  of  the  prisoners  taken 
was  eleven  hundred  and  thirty-three,  about  fifteen  hundred  stand  of 
arms,  several  baggage  wagons,  and  all  their  camp  equipage  fell  into 
our  hands.  The  battle  closed  not  far  from  sundown,  so  that  wc  had  to 
encamp  on  the  ground,  with  the  dead  and  wounded,  and  pass  the  night 
among  groans  and  lamentations. 


APPENDIX. 


657 


The  next  clay,  ns  soon  as  we  could  huiy  our  dead,  and  provide  litters 
to  carry  our  wounded,  we  marched  off  to  regain  the  upper  country  for 
fear  of  being  intercepted  by  a  detachment  from  the  army  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  for  we  were  partly  behind  his  quarters,  between  him  and  the 
British  garrison  of  Ninety  Six.  A  Britirih  surgeon,  with  some  assistants, 
were  left  to  attend  their  wounded  ;  but  the  wounded  Tories  were  nn- 
provided  for,  and  their  dead  left  for  their  bones  to  bleach  upon  the 
mountain.  That  afternoon  we  met  Capt.  Neil  coming  on  with  his  de- 
tachment, and  encamped  for  the  night  on  a  large  deserted  Tory  \A\\\\- 
tation,  where  was  a  sweet  potato  patch  sufficiently  large  to  supply  the 
whole  army.  This  was  most  fortunate,  for  not  one  in  I'lfty  of  us  had 
tasted  food  for  the  last  two  days  and  nights,  Uiat  is,  since  we  left  the 
Cowpens.  Here,  the  next  morning,  we  buried  Col.  Williams,  who  had 
died  of  his  wounds  on  the  march  the  day  liefore.  We  still  proceeded 
towards  the  mountains  as  fast  as  our  prisoners  could  bear. 

When  we  had  gained  a  position,  where  we  thought  ourselves  secure 
from  a  pursuit,  the  army  halted  for  a  day,  and  a  court  was  detailed  to 
inquire  into  various  complaints  against  certain  Tories  for  murders,  rob- 
beries, house-burnings,  &c.  The  court  found  upwards  of  forty  of  them 
guilty  of  the  crimes  charged  upon  them,  and  sentenced  them  to  hang ; 
and  nine  of  the  most  atrocious  offenders  were  executed  that  night  by 
fire-light,  the  rest  were  reprieved  by  the  commanding  officer. 

We  set  off  early  next  morning,  and  shortly  after  the  rain  began  to 
fall  in  torrents,  and  continued  the  whole  day,  but,  instead  of  halting,  we 
rather  mended  our  pace  in  order  to  cross  the  ^  atawba  river  before  it 
should  rise  and  intercept  us;  this  we  effected  late  in  the  night,  and 
halted  by  a  large  plantation,  when  Major  McDowell — brother  of  the 
Colonel,  and  who  commanded  his  brother's  regiment  the  whole  route, 
and  was  a  brave  and  efficient  officer — rode  along  the  lines,  and  informed 
us  that  the  plantation  belonged  to  liim,  and  kindly  ia\  ited  us  to  take 
rails  from  liis  fences,  and  make  fires  to  warm  and  dry  us.  I  suppose 
every  one  felt  grateful  for  this  generous  offjr,  for  it  was  rather  cold, 
being  the  last  of  October,  and  every  one,  from  the  Commander-in-Chief  to 
the  meanest  private,  was  as  wet  as  if  he  had  just  been  dragged  through 
the  Catawba  river.  We  rested  here  one  day,  and  then  proceeded,  by 
easy  marches,  to  the  heads  of  the  Yadkin  river,  where  we  were  relieved 
by  the  militia  of  the  country,  and  permitted  to  return  home,  which  those , 
of  us  who  had  not  fallen  in  battle  or  died  of  wounds,  effected  some 
time  in  November. 

During  the  whole  of  this  expedition,  except  a  few  days  at  the  outset, 
I  neither  tasted  bread  nor  salt,  and  this  was  the  case  with  nearly  every 
man  ;  when  we  could  get  meat,  which  was  but  seldom,  we  had  to  roast 
and  cat  it  without  either :  sometimes  we  got  a  few  potatoes,  but  out 
standing  and  principal  rations  were  cars  of  corn,  scorched  in  the  fire 


f 


558 


NAKRA TOR'S  VERSION. 


or  eaten  raw.     Such  was  the  price  paid  by  the  men  of  the  RcvoUition 
for  our  Indepcnclonce. 

Here  I  mi^dit  conclude,  but  I  cannot  forbear  offering  a  small  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  our  commanding  officers.  Col.  Williams,  fell;  Cleve- 
land, 1  have  already  spoken  of;  Sevier,  I  did  not  see  in  the  battle,  but 
Ills  bravery  was  well  attested;  three  times  my  eye  fell  upon  our  gall.iiit 
commander,  [Campbell]  calm  and  collected,  encouraging  the  men,  and 
assuring  them  of  victory.  -At  the  close  of  the  action,  wiien  the  British 
were  loudly  calling  for  cpiarters,  but  uncertain  whether  they  would  be 
granted,  1  saw  the  intrepid  Shelby  rush  his  horse  within  fifteen  paces  of 
their  lines,  and  commanded  them  to  lay  down  their  arms,  and  they 
should  have  cjuarters.  Some  would  call  this  an  imprudent  act,  but  it 
showed  the  daring  bravery  of  the  man.  I  am  led  to  believe  that  three 
braver  men,  and  purer  patriots,  never  trod  the  soil  of  freedom,  than 
Campbell,  Shelby  and  Sevier. 


["Narrator"  in  Kentucky  Rcportrr,  July  25th,  18 12.] 

Col.  Shelby,  in  concert  with  Col.  John  Sevier,  meditated  and  carried 
into  execution  the  expedition  ag.unst  Ferguson,  who,  thinking  himself 
secure,  had  permitted  some  of  his  Tories  to  go  home.  J)y  forced 
marches,  with  nine  hundred  and  ten  men,  they  attacked  Ferguson  on 
King's  Mountain,  and  killed  and  took  eleven  hundred  and  (\vc  men. 
The  honor  of  the  enterprise  has  Ijeen  given  Col.  Campbell  most  unde- 
servedly. There  were  si.x  officers  along  who  were  entitled  to  command 
Col.  Campbell  by  their  rank  ;  and  Col.  Shelby  who  was  one  of  those  six, 
deserves  the  nation's  thanks  for  the  manner  in  which  he  conducted  him- 
self at  that  critical  juncture.  In  the  camj),  everything  was  confused  for 
want  of  a  commanding  officer.  Those  who  were  entitled  to  command 
were  very  unpopular,  and  I  am  well  infornted  that  had  it  been  left  to  an 
election,  Shelby  would  have  been  elected  ;  but  he  was  not  the  eldest 
officer,  and  he  was  aware,  that  should  he  contend  for  the  command,  the 
jealousy  and  offended  pride  of  the  others  might  defeat  the  expedition.  He 
had  more  at  heart  the  interest  of  his  darling  country  than  the  promotion  ; 
and  to  do  away  all  jealousy  among  equa'  s,  he  himself  ])roposed  a  meeting 
be  held  for  the  purpose  of  an  arrangement,  that  they  should  jointly  every 
evening  provide  an  order  for  the  government  of  camp,  and  that  Col. 
Campbell  should  be  the  officer  of  the  day  to  see  that  complied  with. 

This  affair  being  arranged,  the  army  moved  on  and  made  a  forced 
march,  as  it  was  all  important  to  them  to  overtake  Ferguson  before  the 
disbanded  Tories  could  rendezvous  and  join  him.  From  Friday  morn- 
ing until  Saturday  evening  the  little  host  of  soldiers  scarcely  tarried  a 
moment,  and  late  on  that  evening  coming  up  with  the  enemy,  the  at- 


APPENDIX. 


WO 


tack  was  commcnrcd.  Col.  Campliell  was  not  in  this  action  except  in 
tlie  first  onset.  To  Shclijy  the  enemy  siMicndered — Siielhy  was  the 
first  man  wivo  spoke  to  them — was  the  first  man  among  iheni,  and  tlic 
fire  on  tiie  opjiosite  side  of  tiie  inonntain  did  not  cease,  as  they  did  not 
know  of  tile  surrender,  until  She!l)y,  who,  was  aictually  amoiij;  the  Brit- 
ish, ordered  them  to  sit  down.  The  American  fire  instantly  ceased,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  huzzas  of  triumph.  Campbell,  hearing  them, 
came  up  about  twenty  minutes  afterward,  and  observed  to  Shelby, 
"that  he  could  not  account  for  his  own  conduct  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
action." 


i 


COL.  SHELBY'S  LETTERS  TO  GOV.  SEVIER. 

July  1st,  1822,  Col.  ("..  W.  Sevier,  caused  to  be  published  in  llic 
Nas/iTiNe  Gametic  four  letters  written  by  Col.  Shelby  to  his  father. 
Gov.  Sevier,  three  of  which,  in  part,  touched  upon  King's  Mountain  and 
Col.  Campbell.     Those  parts  follow: 

The  Le;^nslature  of  Virginia,  shortly  after  the  defeat  of  Ferguson, 
upon  King's  Mountain,  in  1780,  voted  an  elegant  horse  and  sword  to  be 
presented  to  Col.  William  Campbell,  as  a  testimony  of  approbation 
which  his  country  bore  towards  him  on  account  of  the  part  tliat  he  had 
taken  in  that  memorable  affair.  The  horse  was  delivered  to  him  ;  but 
owing  to  neglect,  or  some  other  cause,  the  sword  was  not  presented  to 
him  before  he  died.  I  am  lately  informed  that  the  friends  of  Col. 
Campbell,  not  long  since,  have  made  ai)plicati()n  to  the  Legislature  of 
that  State  for  tlie  sword — that  they  votetl  tlie  sum  of  one  tiiousand,  five 
hundred  crowns  for  the  purchase  of  tiie  most  elegant  sword  that  could 
be  prociu'cd  in  France  ;  and  througli  our  .Minister  in  Paris,  a  most  superb 
sword  was  oljtained,  whicii  was  presented  by  the  Ciovernment  of  Virginia 
to  young  John  Preston  *,  the  grandson  of  Col.  Campbell,  as  an  honorable 
reward  due  to  the  memory  of  his  ancestor. 

Now,  sir,  what  did  Campbell  merit  more  than  you  or  I  did  ?  It  is 
a  fact  well  known,  and  for  which  he  apologized  to  me  the  day  after  the 
action,  that  ho  was  not  within  less  than  one  quarter  of  a  inile  of  the  ene- 
my at  the  time  they  surrendered  to  you  and  myself.  But  I  do  not  mean 
to  detract  from  the  honors  of  the  dead,  yet  it  is  a  fact  I  have  told  to 
many,  both  before  and  since  his  death. — January  1st.  1810. 

At  the  time  I  wrote  to  you  on  this  subject,  1  had  but  just  heard  of  the 
fine  sword  given  by  the  State  of  Virginia  to  a  descendant  of  tlie  late  Col. 
Campbell,  and  for  a  moment  I  felt  a  degree  of  indignation  and  resent- 
ment, that  my  country  had  attributed  the  achievement  of  the' victory  on 
King's  Mountain  to  a  man  who  had  little  share   in   the   action,  and   it 


*  Wm.  C.  Preston  w.is  prubaljly  the  person  referred  to. 


j  I  liif 


'^n 


660 


SHELIi  I  ".S  /'.  IMrm.E  T. 


dclcimiiicd  luc  to  address  a  k-ttcr  to  you  on  tlic  occiisioii.  *  #  »  Jt 
may  be  fairly  stated,  that  the  great  body  of  tlic  men  lliat  crossed  the 
iDoinitainh  on  that  expedition,  were  raised  and  eml)odied  by  your  and  my 
own  united  exertions.  It  was  an  enterprise  undertaken  from  pure  and 
patriotic  motives,  without  tlie  aid  of  the  tiovenment — at  ;•  tin.?  that  tried 
the  souls  of  men.  It  was,  in  its  consequences,  the  salvation  of  North 
Carolina,  inasmuch  as  it  obliged  Lord  Cornwaliis  to  retreat  out  of  the 
State  witii  tiie  wiiole  Britisii  army,  and  he  ( ould  not  advance  until  lie 
was  reinforced  from  New  York.  IJesides,  in  the  great  scale  of  our  na- 
tional affairs,  it  was  the  -iwry  first  penfivahic  iTcnt  that  gave  a  favora- 
ble turn  to  the  American  Revolution. — February  24th,  1810. 

I  shall  be  elected  (Governor  by  a  majority  of  at  least  ten  thousand 
votes.  Among  other  falsehoods  that  were  circulated  against  me,  it  was 
said  that  I  was  not  in  the  action  at  King's  Mountain  ;  and  by  some,  that 
I  was  only  a  Lieutenant,  or  some  inferior  officer,  on  that  expedition,  and 
this  story  had  gained  some  credit  among  better  informed  people.  The 
object  of  this  letter  is,  to  recpicst  you  to  be  so  obliging  as  to  state  to  me, 
in  a  letter,  as  early  as  convenient,  the  station  in  wiiich  I  commamled  on 
tiic  expedition  against  Ferguson.  You  know  that  the  expedition  was 
concerted  by  ynii  and  myself,  and  that  it  took  some  address  to  induce 
Campi)ell  and  his  men  to  join  us.  That  in  the  action,  I  was  in  the  heat 
of  the  battle.  I  well  n>rollect  being  once  very  near  you  as  we  went  up 
the  mountain  early  in  the  action  ;  I  saw  you  animating  'he  men  to  vic- 
tory, and  feel  persuaded  you  saw  mc  also ;  I  was  on  horseback,  near 
you,  using  the  same  exertions.  And  you  must  also  recollect,  that  I  w.is 
almost  the  first — and,  I  believe,  the  very  first — officer  that  you  met  at 
the  surrender  of  the  enemy.  Your  first  words  to  mc  at  the  surrender 
were — "By  G — d,  they  have  burnt  ol'f  your  hair."  You  must  still  recol- 
lect that  circumstance,  that  my  hair  on  the  left  side  was  very  much 
scorched — this  ha])i)ened  just  before  the  surrender,  when  both  parties 
were  almost  promiscuously  mingled  together. — ,\ugust  I3ih,  1812, 


[gov.    SHKUBV's    I'A.MIMII.ET.] 

BATTLE  OF  KING'S  MOUNTAIN. 


To  the  I'ublic. 


During  the  last  year,  Mr.  \Vm.  C.  Preston,  a  grandson  of  the  late 
Col.  Wm.  Campbell,  made  a  publication  in  the  newspapers,  under  his 
signature,  and  headed  "Colonel  Campbell  and  Governor  Shelby." 
The  professed  object  of  this  address,  was  to  claim  for  his  ancestor,  as 
commander  of  the  American  forces  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain 
the  chief  honors  of  that  victory,  and  to  controvert  some  statements  rela- 


II 


APPENDIX. 


r)ni 


the  late 
ulcr  his 
jhclby." 
cstor,  as 
ountain 
lUs  rcUi- 


tive  to  that  suhject,  made  in  some  of  my  frivatc  httos  to  the  hite  (iov. 
Sevier,  of  lemiessee,  which  letters  came  t<j  tiie  knowiedye  of  the 
world,  and  of  Mr.  I'reston,  by  the  inadvertent  ])ul)lication  i.."  them  by 
tiie  son  of  Ciov.  Sevier,  after  the  death  of  liis  fatlier.     In  the  course  of 

his  address,  Mr.  I'reston  has  tiiought  projjcr  to  question  my  veracity, 

to  deny  tiie  statements  made  in  tiiose  letters,  and  to  imiuite  to  me  the 
most  dishonorable  motives  and  purposes. 

I  paused  and  hesitated  long  as  to  the  course  I  ou;;lit  to  pursue. 
Conscious  of  my  integrity,  I  felt  a  proud  confidence,  that  my  reputation 

could  not  be  affected  by  the  proofs  and  animadversions  of  Mr.  Preston 

th.it  it  was  placed  above  the  reach  of  calumny  and  all  attempts  to 
dishonor  it.  But  the  labored  efforts  that  have  Ijeen  used,  to  give  the 
most  extensive  circulation  and  the  most  permanent  effect  to  the  publi- 
cation of  Mr.  Preston,  have  determined  me  to  reply  to  it,  least  by  my 
silence  I  might  be  considered  as  acquiescing  in  the  justice  of  his  asser- 
tions  and  imputations. 

It  is  with  the  most  sincere  and  heartfelt  regret  that  I  undertake  the 
task ;  because  in  the  course  of  my  defence  it  will  be  necessary  for  me 
to  s])eak  of  circumstances,  which  I  had  rather  have  seen  consigned  to 
oblivion — circumstances  calculated,  in  some  degree,  to  effect  the  fame  of 
Col.  Campbell;  and  perhaps  to  wound  the  feelings  of  many  of  his 
numerous  and  most  respectable  relatives  and  connections.  But  tiic 
unexpected  publication  of  my  private  letters  to  an  old  friend,  and  the 
attack  consequently  made  on  me  by  Mr.  Preston,  compel  me  to  defend 
myself;  and  painful  and  invidious  as  the  task  may  ")e,  I  owe  it  to 
myself,  to  my  posterity  and  my  country,  to  perform  it.  I  couKl  have 
wished  most  earnestly  to  have  been  spared  this  development,  but  cir- 
cumstances seem  not  to  permit  it. 

If,  in  the  course  of  this  investigation,  facts  should  be  disclosed,  in- 
jurious to  the  fiime  of  Col.  Campbell,  let  it  be  retnemljcred  that  1  have 
been  forced  into  it  by  imperious  necessity.  Sacred  as  I'.ie  memory  of 
Col.  Campbell  may  l)e,  it  will  be  recollecteii,  that  I  also  hav>.  .; 
character  and  reputation  which  are  dear  to  me,  and  which  it  is  one  of  my 
highest  duties  to  maintain  and  defend.  The  history  of  my  life  has 
never  before  been  stained  by  an  imputation  of  falsehood  and  dishonor. 
I  am  now  in  my  seventy-third  year,  and  almost  the  only  object  of 
woidiy  ambition  that  remains  between  me  and  the  grave,  is,  tliat  my  mem- 
ory may  descend  untarnished  to  my  posterity  and  to  my  country — that 
country  which  has  appreciated  my  services,  perhaps  too  highly,  and  with 
a  bountiful  and  generous  hand  heaped  upon  me  rewards  and  honors  far 
beyond  my  poor  deserving.  But  how  must  she  blush  at  my  name,  and 
the  recollection  of  those  honors  whicli  her  mistaken  gratitude  has  con- 
fered  upon  me,  if  1  am  guilty  of  the  falsehood  and  defamation,  with 
which  Mr.  Preston  has  charged  me!     I  am  not  guilty,  my  countrymen. 

3U 


■    1 .  'i 


!  :;i 


Ji  r  •   :;,! 


662 


SUKLIi  Y'S  PAMPHLET. 


and  before  any  ntlicr  tribunal  than  your.),  i  wniiUl  liavc  scorned  to  reply 
to  tlie  unwortliy  accusations  wiili  w'licb  I  am  assaileil. 

To  render  the  subject  more  intelligible  and  clear,  and  to  ^how  the 
grounds  upon  which  I  have  made  the  statements  contained  in  my 
private  letters,  I  shall  attempt  to  give  some  account  ot  liie  battle  of 
King's  Mount;'.in,  anil  the  circumstances  which  leil  to  it. 

Upon  the  drfeat  of  Gen.  (iates  and  the  American  army  al  tlie  battle 
of  Camden,  .)n  the  l6lh  of  August,  1760,  the  Soiulurn  States  were 
almost  entirely  ;;band()neil  to  the  enemy.  The  intelligence  ol  that  dis- 
astrous affair,  and  the  defeat  of  (ien.  .Sumter  which  soon  lollowed,  spread 
universal  consternation  and  alarm.  All  the  bodies  of  militia  that  were 
in  arms  through  the  country,  were  compelleil  to  lly  belbre  the  enemy. 
Some  of  these  detachments  (i>art  of  which  I  connnanded)  fletl  towards 
the  mountains,  and  were  hotly  pursued  by  Major  I'erguson,  of  the  British 
army,  with  a  strong  force.  Failing  in  the  attempt  to  intercept  their 
retreat,  lie  took  post  at  Tiilbcrt  Town.  At  that  place  he  ]).iroled  a 
prisoner,  (one  Samuel  Philips,  a  distant  connection  of  mine,)  anil  in- 
structeil  him  to  inform  the  officers  01.  ihe  Westein  waters,  th.it  if  they 
did  not  desist  from  their  op])osition  to  the  Ihilish  arms,  and  take 
protection  under  his  standard,  he  would  march  his  army  over  the 
mountains,  hang  their  leaders,  and  lay  their  country  waste  willi  (ire  and 
sword.  Philips  lived  near  my  residence,  and  came  directly  to  me 
with  this  intelligence.  I  then  connnanded  the  militia  of  Sullivan  County, 
North  Carolina.  In  a  few  days  I  went  fifty  or  sixty  miles  to  see  Col. 
Sevier,  who  was  the  efficient  commander  of  Washington  County,  North 
Carolina,  to  inform  him  of  the  message  1  had  received,  and  to  concert 
with  him  measures  for  our  defence.  After  some  consultation,  we  de- 
termined to  march  with  all  the  men  we  could  raise,  :mii1  attempt  to 
surprise  Ferguson,  by  attacking  him  in  his  camp,  or  at  any  rate  before 
he  was  prejiarcd  for  us.  We  accordingly  appoinled  a  time  and  place  of 
rendezvous.  It  was  kiKnvn  to  us  that  >.ome  two  or  three  hnndred  of  the 
militia  who  had  been  under  the  command  of  Col.  l\lcI)owell,  and  were 
driven  by  the  success  of  the  enemy  from  the  lower  country,  were  then 
on  the  Western  waters,  and  mostly  in  the  County  of  Washington,  North 
Carolina.  I  saw  some  of  their  officers  before  we  parted  ;  Col.  Sevier 
engaged  to  give  notice  to  these  refugees,  and  to  bring  them  into  our 
measure.  On  my  l)art,  I  undertook  to  procure  tlie  aid  am'  'o-operation 
of  Col.  Wm.  Campbell,  of  Washington  County,  Virginia,  and  ihe  men 
of  that  County,  if  practicable. 

Having  made  the  arrangements  with  Sevier,  I  retunii'd  home  im- 
mediately, and  devoted  myself  to  all  the  necessary  operations  for  our 
intended  enterprise.  1  wrote  to  Col.  Campbell,  informing  him  what 
Sevier  and  I  had  agreed  on,  and  urged  him  to  join  us  with  all  the  men 
he  could  raise.    This  letter  I  sent  express  to  him  at  his  own  house,  forty 


p 


,1  to  reply 

■r.\\ow  the 
d  in  my 
hatllc    of 

llic  battle 
iitcs   were 
f  tliat  dis- 
cd, spread 
that  were 
ic  enemy, 
■d  towards 
the  Ihitihh 
icept  tlieir 
paroled  a 
I-,)  ami  in- 
liat  if  they 
and    lake 
y  over  the 
[h  fn-e   and 
i[\y  to   me 
an  Connty, 
to  see  Col. 
nty,  North 
to  concert 
n,  we  de- 
nttcmpt  to 
ate  before 
nd  place  of 
hod  of  the 
,  ami  were 
were  then 
ton,  North 
t'ol.  Sevier 
n  into  our 
)-opcration 
(1  tlie  men 

liome  Im- 
ons  for  our 

l\ini  what 
ill  the  men 
luuse,  forty 


APPEiXD/X. 


miles  distant,  by  my  brother,  Moses  Sheil)y.  Col.  Campbell  w,ole  v^c 
for  answer,  that  he  had  ditemiincd  to  raise  wjiat  men  In-  roiild,  ai;d 
march  down  I)y  Flower-tJap,  to  the  Soutlicrn  jjordcrs  of  Vir.L;inia,  to 
ojipn^c  Lord  Cornwallis  when  he  apjjroached  that  State; — tlial  lu;  still 
preferred  this  course  to  the  one  propr  n-d  by  Sevier  and  myself,  and 
therefore  declined  agreeing  to  meet  ns.  Of  this  I  notified  Col.  Sevier  by 
an  express  on  the  ne.\t  day,  and  immediately  issued  an  order  callin}.',  upon 
<i//  tile  inihtia  of  the  County  to  hold  tliemselves  in  readiness  to  manh 
at  tlie  time  apjjoinled.  1  feh,  however,  some  disappointment  at  the  reply 
of  Col.  Campbell.  The  Cherokee  towns  were  not  more  than  cii^hty  or 
one  hundred  miles  from  the  frontiers  of  my  County,  and  we  had  re- 
ceived information  that  these  Indians  were  preparing;  a  formidaI)le 
attack  upon  us  in  the  course  of  a  {i^w  weeks;  I  was,  therefore,  iiinviilin^^ 
tliat  we  sliould  take  away  the  whole  disposabk-  force  of  our  Counties  at 
such  a  time  ;  and  without  the  aid  of  the  militia  under  Col.  Campbell's 
connnand,  1  feared  liiat  we  could  not  otherwise  have  a  sufficient  force  to 
meet  Fergu.son.  1  therefore  wrote  a  second  letter  to  Col.  Cain|)bell,  and 
sent  the  same  messenger  back  with  it  immediately,  to  whom  I  commu- 
nicated at  larj^e  our  view  and  intentions,  and  directed  him  to  urge  them 
on  Col.  Campbell.  This  letter  and  messenj^er  produced  the  desired 
effect,  and  Campbell  wrote  me  that  he  would  meet  us  at  the  time  and 
place  appointed.  If  Mr.  I'lcston  and  his  relations  have  been  as  caietul 
of  these  letters,  as  they  have  been  of  some  others,  and  will  publish  lliem, 
they  will  prove  the  correctness  of  this  statement. 

It  surely  cannot  detract  from  the  merits  of  Co'..  Campbell,  that  this 
expedition  was  not  sot  on  foot  by  him,  but  by  others.  He  lived  in  \"ir- 
ginia,  in  a  state  of  comparative  security,  and  was  preparinj;  to  aid  his 
own  State  when  she  should  be  invaded.  We  lived  in  North  Carolina,  a 
great  part  of  which  State  was  im.stratc  before  the  British  arms.  We 
were  nearer  to  the  enemy,  and  we  were  threatened.  We,  therefore,  deter- 
mined to  anticipate  the  invasion  and  vengeance  meditated  against  us, 
and  to  strike  the  first  blow.  To  do  this  effectually,  we  asked  for  and  re- 
ceived the  aid  of  the  nearest  Connty  in  a  neighboring  State.  This  was 
surely  the  natural  and  ordinary  course  of  things.  The  25th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1780,  at  Watauga,  where  the  time  and  place  appointed  for  our 
rendezvous,  Cnl.  Sevier  had  succeeded  in  engaging  in  our  ent(Tprise, 
Col.  t.'harles  McDowell  and  many  of  the  refugees  before  mentioned — and 
when  assembledourforces  were  as  follows:  Col.  William  Campbell  wiih 
four  hundred  men  from  W.ishington  County,  Virginia;  Col.  John  Se\i(rr 
with  two  hundred  and  forty  men  from  Washington  County,  North 
Carolina;  Coi.  Charles  McDowell  with  one  hundretl  andsi.xty  men  from 
the  Counties  of  Burke  and  Rutherford,  who  had  fled  before  the  enemy 
to  the  Western  waters  ;  and  two  hundred  and  forty  men  from  Sullivan 
County,  North  Carolina,   under  my  command.     On  the  next  day,  the 


^    i: 


I  ii 


I  -  i 


I 


II 


56i 


SIILLV,  V'S  J'AMJ'J/LET. 


f>: 


26th  of  the  month,  we  Ijcj^aii  our  in;irch,  crossed  tlie- mountains,  .-md,  on 
the  3'  til,  were  joined  ijy  Col.  IJonjamin  Cleveland  with  tiuee  luuulied 
and  lit'ty  men  from  the  Counties  of  Wilkes  and  Surry,  North  Carolina. 

The  little  disorders  and  irregularities  which  began  to  prevail  among 
our  undisciplined  troops,  created  much  uneasiness  in  the  commanding 
officers — tiie  Colonels  conmiaiuling  regiments.  We  met  in  the  evening, 
and  consulted  about  our  future  o|)erations.  It  was  resolved  to  semi  to 
I  leail-Oiiarters  for  a  general  ofticer  to  comn»and  us  ;  and  that,  in  the  mean- 
lime,  we  should  meet  in  coimcil  every  day  to  determine  on  the  measures  to 
be  pursued,  and  appoint  one  of  our  own  body  to  put  them  in  execution.  I 
was  not  satisfied  witii  this  coiuse,  as  I  thouglit  it  calculated  to  jiroducc 
delay,  when  exi)edition  and  dispatch  were  all  important  to  ui.  We  were 
then  in  sixteen  or  eighteen  miles  of  Gilbert  Town,  where  we 
supposed  Ferguson  to  be.  I  suggested  tliese  things  to  the 
council,  and  then  observed  to  the  ofticcrs,  that  we  were  all  North 
Carolinians  except  Col.  Cam])ljell,  who  was  from  Virginia;  that  I  knew 
him  to  be  a  man  of  good  sense,  and  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of  his 
cotmtry  ;  that  he  comrnamled  the  largest  regiment ;  and  that  if  they  con- 
cmred  with  me,  we  would,  imtil  a  gener.d  oft'icer  shotdd  arrive  from 
Head-Quarters,  appoint  him  to  command  us,  ,ind  march  immcdi.itcly 
against  the  enemy.  To  this  proposition  some  one  or  two  saitl,  "agreetl." 
No  written  minute  or  record  was  made  of  it.  I  m.ule  the  projjfjsition  to 
silence  the  expectations  of  Col.  McDowell  to  command  us — he  being  tlic 
commanding  officer  of  the  district  we  were  then  in,  and  had  comrnamled 
the  armies  of  militi.i  assembled  in  that  quarter  all  the  summer  l)efore 
against  the  same  enemy.  He  was  a  brave  and  ])atriotic  man,  l)ut  we 
considered  hint  too  far  advanced  in  life,  and  too  inactive,  f  )r  the  command 
of  such  an  enterprise  as  we  were  then  engaged  in.  I  w.is  sure  he  wouUl 
not  serve  untler  a  yoimger  ofllcer  from  his  own  .State,  anil  hoped  that  kis 
feelings  would  in  some  degree  I)e  saved  by  the  appointment  of  Col. 
Cam|)bell.  In  this  way,  and  upon  my  suggestion,  was  Col.  Camp- 
bell raised  to  the  command,  and  not  on  account  of  any  supirior  niiliUuy 
talents  or  experience  he  luas  supposed  to  possess.  lie  had  no  jjrevious 
accpiaintancc  with  any  of  the  Colonels  except  myself,  nor  liad  he  at  tliat 
time  arcpiired  any  exjierience  or  distinction  in  war,  that  we  knew  of. 
Col.  .M(  Dowell,  who  had  the  good  of  his  country  more  at  heart  than  any 
title  of  command,  subnii'ied  to  what  was  done  ;  but  ol)served,  that  as  he 
coidd  not  be  jicrtnitted  to  commanil,  he  would  be  the  messeii- 
ger  to  go  to  Ilead-nuartcrs  f(U-  the  general  oti'icer.  He  accordingly 
started  immediately,  k-aving  his  men  under  his  brother,  Maj.  Joseph 
McDowell,  and  Col,  Cami)l)eU  assumed  the  chief  command.  lie  was, 
howe\'er,  to  be  regulated  ami  ilirected  by  the  determinations  of  the 
Colonels,  who  were  to  meet  in  council  every  day. 

On  the  morning  after  the   appointment  of  Col.  Cam[)bell,  we  pro- 


t-te  J 


^'^ 


APPENDIX. 


565 


,  and,  on 
hunilicil 
C;irt)lin;i- 
il  among 
ni;uulin;4 
cvcniiii;, 
(>  send  to 
he  inoiin- 
jasuics to 
edition.  I 
>  ]iroducc 
Wo  were 
I'herc    wc 
to     tlic 
;ill    North 
;lt  I  kl\eW 
111  ic  of  liis 
tlu-y  con- 
rivc  fioni 
nied'uitely 
"agreed." 
[)ositi<>n  to 
being  tlic 
n\manded 
icr  before 
n,  but  we 
conini;iml 
'ne  would 
•d  tliat  kis 
nt  of  Col. 
)1.   (":un;)- 
inililary 
t  ])revious 
lie  .It  that 
•  knew  of. 
t  than  any 
that  as  he 
niesscn- 
ccordingly 
aj.  Joseph 
He  was, 
)ns  of  the 

1,  we  jiro- 


ceeded  tow.irds  Gilbert  Town,  hut  found  that  Ferguson,  apprised  of  our 
approaeh,  had  left  there  a  few  days  before.  On  the  ne.xt  night,  it  was 
determined,  in  the  couneil  of  officers,  to  pursue  him  unremittingly,  with 
as  many  of  oiu"  troops  as  c(juld  be  well  armed  ami  well  mounted,  leav- 
ing the  weak  horses  and  footmen  to  follow  on  as  fast  as  they  could.  We 
accordingly  started  about  light  the  next  morning,  with  nine  hundred  ami 
ten  men,  thus  selected.  Continuing  diligently  our  pursuit  all  that  da\-, 
we  were  joined  at  the  Cow|)ens,  on  the  Cth,  by  Col.  James  Williams,  of 
Soudi  Carolina,  and  several  field  officers,  with  .ihout  four  hundred  mrii. 
Learning  from  him  ihe  situali(jn  and  distance  of  the  enemy,  we  ti-.i\eleil 
all  that  night,  and  the  next  day,  thiou;.;li  heav\'  rains,  and  came  up  with 
thou  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  7th  of  Odober.  They 
were  encamped  on  an  eminence  called  Kinifs  Mountain,  exleiuiiiig 
from  cast  to  west,  which  on  its  summit  was  about  five  or  six  hundred 
yards  long,  and  sixty  or  seventy  broad.  Our  men  were  formed  for  bat- 
tle as  stated  in  the  report  of  the  action  made  out  and  signed  by  some 
of  the  officers,  ami  lately  |)ublished  liy  Mi.  I'reston.  'J'liis  report,  how- 
ever, omits  to  mention,  that  the  men  who  had  belonged  to  (,'ol.  McDow- 
ell's command,  which  had  been  considerably  augmented  011  the  march, 
formed  a  jiart  of  the  right  wing  uiuler  Sevier.  Col.  Campbell's  regi- 
ment and  my  own,  composeil  the  centre — liis  on  the  right,  and  mine  0:1 
the  left.  The  right  wing  or  column,  was  letl  by  Col.  Sevier  and  Maj. 
Winston;  the  left  by  Cols.  Cleveland  and  Williams;  and  each  of  these 
wings  was  about  as  strong  as  Camiibell's  regiment  and  mine  united. 
Our  j)lan  was  to  siu'round  the  mountain  and  attack  the  enemy  on  all 
sides. 

In  this  order,  and  with  this  view,  wc  marched  immediately  to  the  as- 
sault. The  attack  was  commenced  by  the  two  centre  ctilumns,  whii  li 
attem|itcd  to  ascend  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  mountain.  The  battle 
here  became  furious  and  bloody,  and  main-  th.it  belonged  to  St'vier's 
column  were  drawn  inlo  the  action  at  this  jjoint,  to  sustain  their  com- 
rades. In  the  course  of  the  battU:  \v(;  were  repeatedly  rtpulsed  by  the 
enemy,  and  driven  down  the  mount. lin.  In  this  succession  of  repiilNcs 
and  attacks,  and  in  giving  succour  to  the  points  hardest  jiressed,  much  dis- 
order took  place  in  our  ranks;  the  men  of  my  ( olumn,  of  Campbell's 
column,  and  great  part  of  Sevier's,  were  mingled  together  in  the  confusion 
of  th«  battle.  Towards  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  the  enemy  made  a  fierce 
and  gallant  ch.irge  upon  us,  from  the  eastern  summit  of  the  mountain, 
and  drove  us  ne.ir  to  the  foot  of  it.  The  retreat  was  so  r.ipid  that  there 
was  great  danger  of  its  becoming  a  rout.  While  I  was  attemi)ting  to 
rally  the  men,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  hundred  y.irds  from  where  the 
scene  of  action  had  been,  I  looked  iloxon  Hw  mountain,  and  saw  Col. 
Campl)ell,  silling  on  his  b.iUl-f.ice  bla(  k  horse,  about  two  hundred  yards 
further  o(T,  apparently  looking  right  at  me.     He  was  in  the  same    trim — 


I'! 


660 


t^IIELH Y'S  IWMrilLET. 


witli  Iiis  coat  off — that  lie  had  put  liiinsclf  in  to  fij^lu  tke  battle.  I  stop- 
[)ecl  my  horse,  and  raised  myself  up  in  my  stirrups,  to  siiow  liim  that  1 
saw  him.     lie  did  not  move  while  1  looked  at  him.     ' 

Our  men  were  soon  rallied  and  turned  back  upon  the  enemy,  who  in 
a  few  minutes  after  we  a^ain  came  into  close  action  with  them,  ^'avc 
way.  We  gained  the  eastern  summit  <if  the  mountain  ;ind  drove  those 
who  had  been  opposed  to  us  alonj;  the  toji  of  it,  until  they  were  forced 
(JDwn  the  W('.v/('r;i  (^^7;^/ about  one  hundred  yards,  in  a  crowd,  to  wiiere 
tlie  other  part  of  their  line  had  been  contending  with  Cleveland  and 
Williams,  who  were  maintaining  their  ground  below  them.  It  was  here 
that  Ferguson,  the  British  commander,  was  killed — and  a  white  flag 
was  soon  after  hoisted  by  the  enemy,  in  token  f  surrender.  They  were 
ordered  to  throw  down  their  arms  ;  which  they  did,  and  surrendered 
themselves  prisoners  at  discretion.  It  was  some  time  before  a  complete 
cessation  of  the  thing,  on  our  part,  could  be  effected.  Our  men,  who  had 
been  scattered  in  the  l).itlle,  were  continually  coming  u|),  and  continued 
to  lire,  without  comprehending  in  tin;  heat  of  the  moment,  what  had 
h.ip[)cned  ;  and  some,  who  had  heard  that  at  Huford's  defeat  the  British 
!^  ul  refused  quarters  to  many  who  asked  it,  were  willing  to  follow  that 
bad  example.  Owing  to  these  causes,  the  ignorance  of  some,  and  the 
disposition  of  others  to  retaliate,  it  required  some  time,  and  some  exer- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  officers,  to  put  an  entire  stop  to  the  firing.  After 
the  surrender  of  the  enemy,  oiu-  men  gave  spontaneously  three  louil 
and  long  shouts. 

It  was  not  till  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  the  enemy  hoisted  the 
fl.ig  of  surrender,  nor  u>ilil  sonic  miiiutt's  after  the  shouts  of  our  vicn  had 
announced  the  victory,  that  I  saw  Col.  Campbell,  on  the  west  point  of  the 
mountain,  loith  his  lii^Iit  colored  coat  buttoned  around  him,  coming  down 
on  foot,  with  three  others,  (all  of  whom  1  knew)  to  where  the  prisoners 
were.  He  came  directly  to  me,  and  stood  by  my  side;  and  after  a  short 
S])ace  ordered  the  prisoners  to  sit  down.  He  then  proposed  a  second 
cheer,  which  though  joined  in  liy  many,  was  neither  so  general  nor  so 
loud  as  the  first. 

Ik'forc  Col.  Campbell  came  up,  the  flag  of  the  enemy,  and  the  sword 
of  their  commanding  oflicer,  DePoyster,  had  been  received,  not  by  me, 
but  by  my  lirother,  Maj.  Kvan  Shelby. 

About  ten  o'clock  on  the  day  after  the  battle,  I  was  standing  alone, 
about  forty  yards  south  of  the  spot  where  Col.  Camiibcll  came  to  me 
alter  the  surrender,  enjoying  the  warmth  of  the  sun  (for  1  had  been  very 
wet  the  day  before,  and  was  exposed  to  the  cold  dew  of  the  mountain  all 
night)  when  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  leave  the  line  of  guards  that  sur- 
rounded the  prisoners,  and  walked  slowly  towards  me  with  his  sword  un- 
der his  arm,  till  he  came  near  touching  me.  He  then,  in  a  lower  tone 
of  voice  than  usual,  and  with  a  slight  smile  on  his  countenance,  made 


APPENDIX. 


507 


the  followiiii,' expression  :  "Sir,  lean  not  ixccoioit  for  my  conduct  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  action." 

All  enterprise  so  dariiif^,  and  a  victory  so  complete,  were  supposed  to 
entitle  llie  officers  who  had  conducted  and  achieved  them,  to  some  testi- 
monials of  their  country's  approbation.  The  Le<^islature  of  Virj,qnia 
voted  to  Cn\.  t'ampljcll  a  horse,  sword  and  ])istols  ;  and  tiie  Le^'islaturo 
of  North  Carolina,  at  their  next  sessi(jn,  were  pleased  to  distinjjuish  the 
services  of  Col.  Sevier,  myself  and  others,  by  votin^^  to  each  of  lis  a  sword. 

Such  is  the  history  of  the  battle  of  Kinj^j's  Mountain,  and  of  the  inci- 
dents connected  with  it,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the  present  controversy. 
Of  those  circumstances  which  relate  to  Col.  Cami)bcll  |)ersonally,  and 
which  might  have  a  tendency  to  diminish  his  reputation,  1  have  seldom 
spoken,  except  in  confidence,  or  to  those  who  were  previously  accpiaintcd 
with  them.  I  am  sure  that  I  may  say,  with  perfect  truth,  that  1  have 
never  spoken  of  them  in  a  spirit  of  iletraction. 

I  have  lon<;  ceased  to  be  a  citizen  of  North  Carolina.  The  swords 
voted  by  her  had  never  yet  i;een  presented,  although  years  had  passed 
away.  Of  the  one  which  was  voted  to  me,  I  had  for  a  lonj;  time  rarely 
thouj^ht,  until  about  the  year  1810,  when  the  prospects  of  a|)|)roa(:hin<^ 
hostilities  with  (Ireat  Britain  naturally  roused  in  me  ancient  feelinj^s, 
and  recollections  of  our  Revolutionary  war ;  and  when  also  I  learned 
from  a  relation  of  Mr.  i'rcston,  that  the  State  of  Virginia  had  given  U) 
him,  as  the  representative  of  Col.  Campbell,  the  elegant  sword  which 
had  been  voted  to  the  lattci  .  >r  his  services  at  the  battle  of  King's  Moun- 
tain. These  circumstances,  and  the  reflections  to  which  they  gave  rise, 
did  produce  some  feelings  of  emulation  and  solicitude,  and  a  sense  that 
equal  justice  had  not  been  done  to  all  who  participated  in  that  memorable 
achievement. 

In  this  state  of  mind,  my  letters  bearing  date  in  1810,  were  addressed 
to  my  ohl  frientl  and  fellow  soldier,  Col.  Sevier.  The  object  of  them 
was  to  concert  with  him  the  means  of  reminding  N(;rlh  Carolina  of  her 
ancient  promise,  and  of  obtaining  those  swords  which  thirty  years  be- 
fore had  been  voted  to  us,  as  the  honorable  memorials  of  our  good  con- 
duct, and  our  country's  approbation.  In  the  course  of  this  correspond- 
ence, .ifter  mentioning  the  magnanimous  example  which  Virginia  had 
given  to  Carolina  by  the  honors  conferred  on  the  memory  of  Col. 
Campbell,  I  ventured  to  make  some  comparison  of  the  services  of 
Sevier  and  myself  with  those  of  Col.  Cam|)bell.  I  stated  in  sul)stance 
that  the  enterpiise  which  resulted  in  the  battle  at  King's  Mountain,  was 
not  set  on  foot  by  Col.  Cam|)bell,  but  by  Sevier  and  myself,  and  that 
some  address  was  necessary  to  induce  him  to  unite  with  us.  That  the 
greater  part  of  the  men  who  crossed  the  mountains  on  that  occasion  may 
be  fairly  said  to  have  been  embodied  by  Sevier  and  myself;  that  Col, 
Campbell  was  not  present  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  nor  when  the 


I' I 


5G8 


SHELBY'S  PAMPHLET. 


■H: 


enemy  surrendered,  nor  for  some  minutes  after  ;    and  that  on  the  next 
day  he  apologized  to  me  for  his  conduct. 

These  statements  are  all  true  within  my  own  knowledge.  They  are 
more  particularly  explained  and  illustrated  in  the  narrative  which  I 
have  given  above  of  the  battle,  and  the  circumstances  which  led  to  it. 
Dut  .Mr.  Preston  has  denied  them — has  impeached  my  veracity,  and  im- 
puted to  me  the  vilest  and  most  dishonorable  motives.  It  is  yet  in  my 
power  to  establish  the  truth  of  these  statements  by  the  most  respectable 
and  unquestionable  testimony.  They  are  verilicd  by  the  letters  of  Col. 
Sevier,  written  in  reply  to  mine;  by  the  statements  of  Gen.  Thos. 
Kennedy,  Col.  John  Sawyers,  James  Cooper,  Henry  Blevins,  John  Long, 
Major  William  Uelaney,  Col.  Matthew  Willoughby,  Col  John  Sharp, 
William  King,  Esq.,  Geo.  Morrison,  Jacob  Isely,  Jaco'.'  iicaler,  Joseph 
Dealer,  John  Peters,  Major  Christopher  Taylor,  Rev.  Felix  Earnest, 
William  Willoughby,  Robert  Elder,  the  affidavit  of  Col.  Moses  Shelby, 
and  a  multitude  of  others  that  might  be  added.  All  of  whom  cither 
participated  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  or  speak  from  long  tradi- 
tion, and  the  information  of  those  who  did,  and  who  are  now  no  more. 

In  Col.  Sevier's  letter  to  me  of  the  17th  of  January,  1810,  he  says,  "  It 
is  true  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not  within  one-quarter  of  a  mile  when 
the  enemy  surrendered  to  yourself  and  mc."  In  another  letter  of  the 
27th  of  August,  1812,  when  speaking  of  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain, 
he  says,  "It  is  well  known  you  were  in  the  heat  of  the  action.  I 
frequently  saw  you  animating  your  men  to  victory ;  at  the  surrender,  you 
were  the  first  field  officer  I  recollect  to  have  seen.  I  have  no  doubt  you 
must  recollect  Col.  Campbell  was  some  considerable  distance  from  that 
place,  at  that  time,  and  that  you  and  myself  spoke  on  that  subject  the 
same  evening.  I  perfectly  recollect  on  my  seeing  you  at  the  close  of 
the  action,  that  I  swore  by  G-d  they  had  burnt  off  your  hair,  for  it  was 
much  burnt  on  one  side.  It  is  well  known  by  some  hundreds  in 
Tennessee,  that  you  were  Colonel  on  that  campaign,  and  that  we  were 
the  only  persons  who  set  on  foot  the  expedition,  and  had  considerable 
trouble  to  get  Campbell  to  join  us." 

Gen.  Kennedy  (who  belonged  on  that  day  to  Sevier's  column)  states 
that  he  was  a  Captain  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  and  fought  on 
tlie  eastwardly  quarter  of  it,  where  Campbell's  regiment  was  also  en- 
gaged— that  he  saw  me  frequently,  but  does  "  not  recollect  to  have  seen 
Col.  Campbell  during  the  action,"  &c.  In  his  statement  he  further 
says,  "  I  was  within  sixty  or  seventy  yards  of  the  enemy  when  they 
raised  the  flag,  and  was  close  in  with  them  in  a  minute  or  two  afterwards, 
and  I  well  recollect  to  have  seen  Col.  Shelby  there  one  of  the  first  men 
1  met  with.  I  remember  to  have  heard  several  persons  inquire  for  Col. 
Campbell  before  he  came  up,  which  was,  1  think,  about  fifteen  minutes 
after  the  surrender.     I  also  recollect  to  have  heard  it  talked  of  in  the 


APPENDIX. 


5G9 


army,  after  the  action  and  for  many  years  after  when  in  conversation 
with  men  who  wore  in  that  battle,  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not  at  the 
surrender  for  some  lime  after  the  enemy  had  laid  down  their  arms. 

Col.  John  Sawyers,  than  whom  there  is  no  man  more  entitled  to 
credit,  as  certified  by  the  most  respectable  and  distinguished  gentlemen 
of  Tennessee — states,  that  "  Isaac  Shelby,  late  Governor  of  Kentucky, 
held  the  command  of  Colonel  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain — that  I 
was  a  Captain  in  his  regiment,  and  know  that  he  first  planned  the  ex- 
pedition with  John  Sevier,"  &c.  "  He  (Shelby)  was  also  among  the 
first  at  the  surrender.  I  saw  him  and  Col.  Sevier  when  the  enemy  laid 
clown  their  arms,  but  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  for  some  time  afterwards. 
I  also  state,  that  Maj.  Evan  Shelby,  brother  of  Isaac,  and  not  Isaac 
Shelby,  Sevier,  or  Campbell,  as  I  have  heard  that  some  now  state, 
received  the  flag  and  sword.  I  also  state,  that  from  this  circumstance  I 
was  led  to  think  of  Col.  Campbell  at  the  time,  looked  for  him  among 
the  officers,  and  do  believe  that  if  he  had  been  there  I  shouUl  have  seen 
him,  and  that  he  did  not  come  up  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  the 
enemy  had  laid  down  their  arms,  and  been  jjlaced  under  guard.  I  also 
know,  that  it  was  the  general  talk  at  the  time,  and  I  have  frequently 
since  heard  it  spoken  of  by  men  who  were  in  the  action,  as  an  indis- 
putable fact,  that  he  was  not  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  nor  at  the  sur- 
render. I  also  recollect  distinctly  to  have  heard  it  said  amongst  the 
officers  before  we  left  the  mountain,  as  well  as  on  the  way  home,  and 
since,  that  Campbell  himself  admitted  it,  and  in  a  private  conversation 
with  Col.  Shelby,  on  the  mountain,  had  said  he  could  not  account  for  it. 
I  remember  to  have  intended  to  ask  Col.  Shelby,  if  this  was  so,  but  it 
has  so  happened  that  I  have  never  mentioned  this  subject  to  him,  nor 
he  to  me." 

Maj.  William  Delaney  states,  that  "  I  was  an  Orderly  Sergeant  in 
in  the  action  of  King's  Mountain ;  that  I  was  with  Col.  Shelby,  and  rode 
with  him  while  placing  a  guard  round  the  enemy  after  the  surrender — 
that  I  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  nor  at  the 
surrender,  for  some  minutes  afterwards,  and  that  I  heard  this  spoken  of 
at  the  time,  as  well  as  since.  It  is  also  my  belief,  from  what  I  under- 
stood at  the  time,  (although  I  did  not  see  it  myself)  that  it  was  Maj. 
Evan  Shelby,  and  neither  of  the  four  Colonels,  that  received  the  sword 
from  the  British  officer  in  command." 

Col.  Moses  Shelby  states,  upon  oath,  that  he  was  twice  wounded  in 
the  action  on  King's  Mountain — that  he  was  assisted  down  to  a  branch 
some  small  distance  from  the  foot  of  the  mountain  on  the  east  end,  and 
that  he  saw  Col.  Cam])bell  there  sitting  on  his  black  horse;  this  was 
about  the  middle  of  the  action,  and  he  knows  "that  Col.  Campbell  did 
not  leave  that  place  until  the  battle  was  over,  or  until  the  firing  had 
ceased." 


ii 


570 


SHELBY'S  PAMPJ/LET. 


Jacob  Bcalcr  states,  thai  he  was  in  Capt,  rcmbcrton's  company  in 
the  battle  of  Kinj^'s  Mountain,  "and  amongst  the  very  fust  at  the  place 
of  surieniler."  'I'he  commander  asked  for  (jur  General,  anil  gave  his 
sword  first  to  Maj.  Evan  Shelby,  who  kept  it  until  Col.  Campbell  came 
up,  which  was  twenty  minutes,  anil  I  think  longer,  afterwards.  ]''rom 
the  discourse  whicli  I  heard  I>etwcen  Col.  Slielljy  andtiie  ilritish  oflicers, 
I  know  tiiat  Campbell  was  not  there,  anil  that  it  was  that  length  of  time 
before  he  came  uj)." 

Joseph  Bealer  certifies,  that  "  I  was  at  the  surrender  with  my  brotlier 
(Jacob  Bealer)  at  his  side,  and  saw  and  heard  what  he  has  stated  in  the 
above  certificate,  and  know  them  to  be  true,  and  have  always  spoken 
of  them,  and  heard  them  spoken  of,  by  those  v/ho  were  there,  in 
this  way." 

John  Peters  also  states,  that  he  "  was  in  Capt.  Pcmberton's  company 
with  Jacob  and  Joseph  Bealer,  and  amongst  the  first  at  the  surrender. 
That  I  know  of  my  own  knowledge,  that  what  Jacob  Bealer  has  slated 
in  his  certificate,  is  true — that  the  enemy  surrendered,  and  that  there  was 
a  ring  made  round  them  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  before  I  looked  u[) 
and  saw  Col.  Campbell  coming  with  two  or  three  others  down  the 
mountain — that  is  what  I  have  always  heard,  and  never  heard  it  con- 
tradicted." 

The  statements  of  the  other  individuals  who  arc  above  named,  tend 
to  confirm  the  same  facts. 

With  respect  to  the  certificates  published  by  Mr.  Preston,  I  shall 
leave  the  public  to  compare  them  with  the  facts  I  have  stated,  and  form 
their  own  judgment.  I  will  only  observe,  however,  that  John  McCulIoch 
is  the  only  one  of  those  whose  statements  have  been  published,  that  I 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  communicating  with,  and  he  has  certified 
that  he  never  signed  the  certificate  published  as  his.  The  statement 
which  he  there  makes,  'that  he  saw  Col.  Campbell,  at  the  enemy's 
markee,'  &c.  is  very  unimportant  and  proves  nothing.  That  'markee' 
was  at  the  east  end  of  the  mountain  and  five  or  si.x  hundred  yards  from 
where  the  enemy  surrendered. 

The  testimonials  which  I  have  now  exhibited  will  satisfy  the  world  thnt 
the  statements  contained  in  my  letters  are  true. 

I  deeply  and  sincerely  regret  the  necessity  that  has  been  cast  upon  me 
of  discussing,  in  defence  of  my  own  character,  a  subject  so  delicate  and  so 
invidious.  It  is  a  controversy  that  I  have  not  sought ;  it  is  one  that  I 
would  have  avoided,  if  any  alternative  had  been  left  me.  My  letters 
to  Col.  Sevier  were  written  in  all  the  confidence  of  a  private  corres- 
pondence with  an  old  friend.  I  question  not  the  motives  that  influenced 
his  son  to  publish  them  after  the  death  of  his  father.  But  certainly  it 
was  an  event  altogether  unexpected  by  me.  The  circumstances  under 
which  those  letters  were  written,  the  person  to  whom  addressed,  and 


APPENDIX. 


571 


their  private  and  confulcntial  character  must  convince  the  world  that  I 
did  not  write  tl)em  for  the  purpose  of  duf.uning  tlic  niemoiy  of  Col. 
Campbell,  or  with  any  design  of  giviag  an  invidious  publicity  to  tiic  un- 
pleasant truths  which  they  contain.  And  if  to  have  spoken  the  truth 
requires  an  apology — if  one  be  due  eitiier  to  the  living  or  the  dead,  the 
circumstances  of  this  case  amply  furnisli  it;  and  ought  to  have  mitigated 
the  violence  and  injustice  with  which  Mr.  Preston  has  assailed  me.  I 
do  not  say  this  to  deprecate  the  wrath  or  censure  of  any  one  ; — for  I  am 
conscious  of  no  impropriety,  and  I  fear  no  consequences. 

Mr.  Preston  states,  that  I  have  charged  Col.  Campl>ell  wilii  cowar- 
dice. I  have  made  no  such  charge.  I  have  stated  facts  only,  and  cow- 
ardice is  tlic  inference  or  construction  which  he  chooses  to  make.  The 
facts  stated,  I  know  to  l)c  true  ;  but  yet  I  do  not  believe  that  Col.  Camp- 
bell was  a  coward.  I  believe  that  in  the  commencement,  and  the  first 
part  of  the  action,  he  acted  bravely,  and  that  his  subsecpient  conduct 
was  the  effect  of  some  unaccountable  panic,  to  which  the  bravest  men 
are  subject.  Such,  at  least,  are  the  sentiments  which  I  have  indulged 
and  cherished  ;  and  these  combined  with  my  regard  for  Col.  Campbell, 
and  his  relatives  and  connections,  will  not  only  furnish  a  ready  answer 
to  the  cjuestion  so  cxultingly  asked  by  Mr.  Preston,  why  I  did  not  long 
ago  denounce  his  ancestor  to  the  world  as  a  coward  and  paltroon?  — but 
will  also  account  for  my  long  and  habitual  silence  on  the  subject.  They 
will  account,  too,  when  taken  in  conjunction  with  Col.  Campbell's  good 
conduct  during  a  part  of  the  action,  for  the  expressions  which  Mr. 
Preston  has  quoted  as  used  by  me  in  the  autograph  letter  to  which  he 
alludes.  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  no  recollection  of  that  letter.  I 
pretend  not,  however,  to  doubt  its  existence,  since  it  is  affirmed  by  Mr. 
Preston,  and  it  having  ever  been  my  wish  to  shield  the  memory  of  Col. 
Campbell  from  reproach. 

As  to  the  document  of  "curious  character,"  (the  report  of  the  battle, 
&c.,  signed  by  the  officers)  to  which  Mr.  Preston  so  triumphantly  refers  as 
furnishing  contradictions  to  tlie  statements  contained  in  my  letters ;  it 
may  be  remarked,  that  it  was  not  drawn  up  on  King's  Mountain,  nor 
until  some  days  after  we  had  left  it— that  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  brief 
and  hrrried  .account,  in  general  terms,  of  the  expedition  and  the  battle, 
drawn  up  to  authenticate  the  intelligence  of  our  victory,  and  give  tone 
to  puljlic  report.  This  document,  Inaccurate  and  indefinite  as  it  is  in 
some  particulars,  furnishes  none  of  those  contradictions  which  Mr. 
Preston  has  supposed  to  exist. 

To  make  out  one  of  those  supposed  contradictions,  he  quotes  that 
part  of  it  which  states,  "The  troops  upon  the  ri^ltt  having  gained  the 
summit  of  the  eminence,  obliged  the  enemy  to  retreat  along  the  top  of 
the  ridge  to  where  Col.  Cleveland  commanded,  and  were  there  stopped  by 
his  brave  men  ;— a  flag  was  hoisted"  &c.     Having  interpolated,  in  par- 


572 


SHELBY'S  PAMPHLET. 


enthesis,  after  the  word,  "right,"  in  the  above  quotation,  the  words 
"Col.  Campbell's  division,"  Mr.  Preston,  exclaims,  "thus  it  is  j;ivcn 
unilcr  Col.  Shelby's  own  hand  in  1780,  that  llic  enemy  was  routed  by 
the  division  commanded  by  Col,  Campbell  in  person."  The  d(jcument 
authorizes  no  such  conclusion,  and  it  is  only  rendered //i:i«5/M' from  the 
interpolation  which  he  has  made.  The  truth  is,  as  I  have  before  stated 
it,  that  a  great  part  of  tlie  column  commanded  by  Sevier,  owing  to  tiie 
heavy  fire  in  front  of  the  two  centre  columns  was  drawn  into  the  action 
on  the  east  end  of  the  mountain,  and  became  mingled  and  blendetl  with 
them  during  the  remainder  of  the  action.  This  fact  is  proved  by  the 
certiticatcs  of  Messrs.  Kennedy,  Taylor  and  Earnest,  who  belonged  to 
Sevier's  column  on  that  day. 

"This  venerable  memoir"  is  also  supposed  by  Mr.  Preston,  to  furnish 
"a  contradiction  in  direct  terms"  to  that  part  of  one  of  my  letters  to  Col. 
Sevier,  where  I  state  "that  it  may  be  fairly  said,  that  the  great  body  of 
the  men  wlio  crossed  the  mountains  on  that  expedition,  were  raised  and 
embodied  by  your  and  my  own  united  exertions."  There  is  in  reality  no 
contradiction.  It  is  true,  as  stated  in  that  "memoir,"  that  Col.  Camp- 
bell brought  with  him  four  hundred  men  from  Washington  County,  Va., 
and  that  Sevier's  regiment  and  mine  consisted  of  only  two  hundred  and 
forty  men  each.  But  when  it  shall  be  recollected,  as  I  h.ive  before 
related,  how  this  expedition  was  set  on  foot,  how  by  tiie  exertions  of 
Sevier  and  myself,  the  refugees  were  asseml)led,  and  brought  to  unite 
with  us,  anil  liow  the  co-operation  of  Col.  Campbell  was  obtained,  I 
think  that  I  am  fully  justified  in  having  stated  to  Sevier,  "tiiat  it  may  be 
fairly  said,  that  most  of  tlie  men  who  crossed  the  mountains,"  &c.,  were 
embodied  by  our  exertions  ;  or,  at  least,  that  I  shall  be  relieved  from  that 
direct  contradiction  which  Mr.  Preston  supposes  must  entirely  destroy 
my  credibility. 

As  to  the  propriety  of  Mr.  Preston's  remarks  in  relation  to  the  news- 
paper publication  of  1812,  in  which  I  am  represented  as  being  "conspic- 
uous through  the  thin  veil  of  a  fictitious  signature,"  I  refer  the  reader  to 
a  letter  addressed  to  me  on  that  subject  by  the  late  Col.  Jno.  15.  Campbell, 
and  my  reply  to  it,  which  I  ani  credibly  informed  was  forwarded  to  Mr. 
Preston.  I  there  state,  that  those  circumstances  relating  to  Col.  Camp- 
bell are  true,  and  that  they  were  known  to  his  immediate  relatives  and 
friends — yet  that  I  had  no  participation  whatever,  in  giving  publicity  to 
them,  but  had  endeavored  to  suppress  their  circulation.  Why  I  was  not 
then  assailed,  and  why  it  has  been  preferred  to  wait  the  lapse  of  so  many 
years,  until  I  am  brought  to  the  very  margin  of  the  tomb,  and  hundreds 
of  the  then  living  witnesses  have  been  "gathered  home"  to  their  fathers,'' 
the  public  will  judge. 

Before  I  conclude,  permit  me  to  ask  what  reasonable  motive  or  in- 
ducement I  could  have  had  to  fabricate  falsehoods  for  the  purpose  of 


APPENDIX. 


673 


defaming  Col.  Campbell?  Has  my  reputation  been  built  up  by  pulling 
down  liiat  of  others  ?  Or  has  it  been  plundered  from  the  ^,'^avcs 
of  the  (lead  ?  Let  my  country  answer  these  ([uusliuns — that  country 
which  has  given  me  all  tliat  1  have  of  name  or  reputation. 

1  think  I  have  a  right  to  be  considered,  at  least,  a  witness  of  fair 
character,  one  who  has  sonic  claims  upon  tiie  contidcnce  of  his  country- 
men, and  who  is  entitled  to  be  heard  without  prejudice,  although  it  is  his 
painful  duty  to  speak  thus  publicly  and  plainly  of  the  dead,  lliblory, 
however,  deals  with  the  dead  ;  and  liiis  is  a  subject  of  history.  And  al- 
though my  reluctance  at  tlie  task,  is  certainly  increased  by  the  circum- 
stance tlial  Col.  Campbell  is  no  more  ;  yet  it  is  very  probable  tliat  I  feel 
myself  more  privileged  to  speak  on  this  subject,  than  would  be  conso- 
nant with  Mr.  Preston's  ideas  of  the  sanctity  and  reverence  due  to  his 
deceased  ancestor  ;  for  1  was  a  contemporary  of  that  ancestor,  and  I 
shall  soon  lie  down  beside  him  in  the  grave.  My  career  is  run.  1  feci 
as  ihougii  1  were  almost  as  nearly  connected  with  the  dead  as  the  living; 
and  standing  thus  beside  my  grave,  and  between  two  worlds,  I  solemnly 
declare,  that  the  facts  I  have  stated,  in  relation  to  the  conduct  of  Col. 
Campbell  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  are  true. 

I  lament  tlie  occasion  that  has  rendered  it  necessary  for  me  to  make 
this  avowal,  and  to  treat  of  this  unpleasant  and  invidious  suijject.  I  now 
take  my  tinal  leave  of  it.  1  am  animated  by  no  spirit  of  controversy.  I 
have  no  fears  for  my  reputation,  the  hardy  growtii  of  many  years.  I 
can  listen  undisturbed  to  the  animadversions  of  Mr.  Preston,  and  noth- 
ing shall  ever  provoke  me  to  engage  further  in  this  contest. 

April,  1S23.  ISAAC  SHELBY. 


(DOCUMENTS.) 


(No.  I.)     [Col.  John  B.  Campbell's  Letter.] 

"  Hopkinsvillcsotk  July,  1S12. 

Sir  :-- -I  have  seen  in  the  Reporter  of  the  25th  inst.,  a  publication 
signed  "  Narrator y  which  has  treated  the  character  of  my  deceased 
uncle.  Gen.  William  Campbell,  with  great  injustice.  So  far  as  this  pub- 
lication, and  otliers  of  the  same  character,  have  tended  to  promote  your 
election  to  the  Chief  Magistracy  of  liic  State,  they  have  met  my  hearty 
concurrence  ;  no  man  has  felt  more  solicitious  than  myself  for  your  suc- 
cess ;  but  when  the  bounds  of  truth  are  transcended,  and  the  character  of 
a  deceased  relative,  long  since  in  the  silent  tomb,  basely  traduced,  and 
his  name  unnecessarily  lugged  into  this  contest  in  a  manner  calculated 
to  dislaurel  him,  although  the  scope  of  the  publication  may  have  been 
intended  to  promote  the  cause  I  approve,  I  cannot  rest  patiently  without 


671 


SHELliV'S  PAMPHLET. 


V      S 


i 


endeavoring  to  have  the  unjjcncrous  statements  in  this  piihhration  con- 
tradicted. The  most  prominent  of  which  are,  that  "  Col.  Campbell  was 
not  in  this  action  exce|)t  on  the  fust  onset;"  and  tiiat  he  came  up  about 
twenty  minutes  after  the  enemy  had  surrendered,  and  observed  to  you, 
"  that  he  could  not  account  for  his  own  conduct  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
action  ;"  thereby  insinuating  that  he  had  cowardly  skulked  out  of  danger 
after  the  commenccnu'nt  of  the  action,  and  remained  in  his  snug  retreat 
until  danger  ceased  to  exist.  I  cannot  for  a  inoincnt,  sir,  entertain 
the  belief,  that  you  would  give  any  countenance  to  a  statement  calculated 
to  wound  the  r:;nitation  of  (""umi.  W'm.  Campbell,  and  I  am  persuaded 
that  "  Narratot ,  who  seems  to  h.ive  undertaken  to  be  your  biographer, 
must  have  derived  his  information  from  some  other  source,  but  if  from 
you,  must  have  misundiMstood  you.  That  (jen.  Campbell  acted  a  con- 
spicuous part  in  tlie  affair  of  King's  Mountain,  all  his  fellow  soldiers 
with  whom  I  have  ever  conversed,  most  unequivocally  assert ;  and  the 
Legislature  of  Virginia  as  an  evidence  of  their  approbation  of  his  distin- 
guised  gallantry  on  the  occasion,  thanked  him  througli  the  medium  of  a 
committee,  presented  him  with  a  fine  horse  elegantly  caparisoned,  a 
sword  and  pistols.  That  youself  and  Col.  Sevier  acted  your  parts  with 
bravery  is  universally  admitted  ;  but  that  the  whole  merit  of  the  affiir  is 
to  be  ascribed  to  you,  to  the  exclusion  of  others,  is  going  further  than 
history  warrants,  or  fellow  soldiers  have  asserted. 

The  great  respect  I  have  always  entertained  for  you,  from  the  char- 
acter my  friends  gave  me  of  you,  and  that  increased  by  the  suiall 
acquaintance  I  cultivated  last  summer,  forbids  my  believing  that  you  had 
any  knowledge  of  this  publication  previous  to  its  appearance.  It  will, 
therefore, give  me  great  pleasure,  and  no  douljt  all  the  friends  ofden. 
Campbell,  if  you  would  correct  the  misrejirescntations  of  "  jXarra/or," 
and,  through  the  same  medium,  place  my  deceased  friend's  conduct  in  its 
proper  point  of  view.  I  have  written  to  Col.  Francis  Preston  on  the 
subject,  and  expect  Un\n  him  certificates  from  persons  who  served 
under  Gen.  Campljcll,  which  I  wish  not  to  have  occasion  to  use.  I  am. 
Sir,  very  respectfully, 

Your  Obedient  Servant, 

JOHN  B.  CAMPBELL. 


(No. 


2.)     [Answer  to  the  above  letter.] 

"Aui^usi  i4(k,  iSi3. 
"Sir  : — By  last  Saturday's  mail  I  received  your  favor  of  the  30th  ult. 
relative  to  a  publication  which  appeared  in  the  AV/£?r/'(r  of  25ih  of  last 
month. 

I  assure  you,  Sir,  that  that  publication  appeared  without  my  knowledge 
or  approbation,  and  that  I  felt  as  much  surprise  and  regret  upon  reading  it 
as  could  have  been  felt  by  you  or  any  one  else.  I  knew  not,  and  am  still 


Al'PENDIX. 


hlh 


nvledL^e 

adini^  it 

I  am  still 


una(  ([iiaintcd  with  " Xiirrator;"  but  immctli.itcly  on  sccin;j  tli.it  piece  T 
wioic  Id  tlio  two  printers  in  Fr.inlsfort,  and  the  editors  of  the  (ilobc  in 
I>anvilii.',  expressing'  my  disapproh.ition  nf  tliat  proiUiction,  and  reiiuesting 
tiiciii  not  to  rc-piibhsh  it  in  either  of  llieir  |)apers. 

Col.  Wiih.im  Ciimpljell  (for  he  was  not  a  General  at  Kinj^'s  Moun- 
tain) deserved  ^'reat  credit  for  the  manner  in  which  the  action  was 
brouj,dit  on,  and  for  his  conduct  throu-^h  great  part  of  it.  He  was  doubt- 
less a  jjrave  man,  but  the  boldest  may  at  some  luckless  moment  be 
confounded ;  this,  in  my  opinion,  docs  not  detract  from  his  former  or 
subsequent  renown.  Ihit  it  is  as  true  as  that  Heaven  and  Karth  exist, 
that  he  was  not  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  and  that  lie  did  apolo^dio 
to  me  for  it  before  we  left  the  mountain,  and  spoke  once  or  twice  to  me 
on  the  subject  upon  our  retreat. 

I  have  rarely  mentioned  this  circumstance,  except  in  confidence,  to  his 
friends;  among  this  description  was  old  Col.  Preston,  and  your  own 
father,  who  had  heard  something  said  on  t!ic  occasion,  and  conversed 
with  me  upon  it,  about  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1781.  1  would  not  for 
the  universe  detract  from  the  merits  of  a  brother  officer  long  since  in  the 
silent  tomb,  for  whose  memory  I  have  ever  felt  a  high  respect  and 
esteem,  and  sincerely  regret  the  appearance  of  that  unguarded  production, 
anil  would  say  everything  consistent  with  truth  to  remove  the  unpleasant 
sensations  which  it  may  have  occasioned.  Perhaps  you  attach  more 
importance  to  that  anonymous  publication  than  it  deserves.  If,  however, 
you  should  choose  to  make  any  comments  upon  it,  unless  they  go  to 
impeach  my  veracity  or  honor,  they  shall  pass  without  my  notice.  Hut 
I  shall  regret  it  extremely,  if  you  should  so  notice  that  unauthorizeil 
production,  as  to  compel  me  to  express  the  foregoing  sentiments,  or 
exhibit  a  document  in  my  hands  respecting  that  delicate  subject.  I 
should  be  gl.i'l  of  an  interview  with  you.  Will  anything  lead  you  to 
Frankfort  ?  If,  it  should,  be  so  good  as  to  drop  me  a  line. 
With  great  respect,  I  am.  Sir,  your  Obedient  Servant, 

ISAAC  SHELBY. 


(No.  3.)  [Col.Scvier  to  Gov.  Shelby,  Jan.  17th,  iSio:] 
"  It  is  true,  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not  within  one  quarter  of  a  mile 
when  the  enemy  surrendered  to  yourself  and  me.  Without  detracting  from 
the  merits  of  Col.  Campbell,  there  were  other  officers  in  the  battle  of 
King's  Mouniain,  that  merited  as  much  notice  from  their  country  as 
himself. 


(No.  4.)     [Col.  Sevier  to  Gov.  Shelby,  Aug.  27th,  1S12  :] 
"  It  is  well  known  you  were  in  the  heat  of  the  action.      I  frequently 
saw  you  animating  your  men  to  victory.    At  the  surrender,  you  were  the 
fust  field  officer  I  recollect  to  have  seen.     I  have  no  doubt  you  must 


I 


ii    P' 


57G 


SI/ELDY'S  PAMPHLET. 


recollect  Co'.  Campbell  was  some  considerable  distance  from 
tliat  place,  at  that  time,  and  that  you  and  myself  spoke  on  that 
subject  the  same  evenin<j.     1  perfectly  recollect  on  seeing  you  at  the 

close  of  the  ac'ion,  that  I  swore  by they  had  burnt  off  your  hair,  for 

it  was  much  l)t.rnt  on  one  side.  It  is  well  known  by  some  luindrcds  in 
Tennessee,  that  you  were  Colonel  on  that  campaign,  and  that  we  were  the 
onh'  persons  who  set  on  foot  the  expedition,  and  had  considerable  trouble 
to  get  Campbell  to  join  us." 

(No.  5.)     [Gen.  Thomas  Kennedy,  of  Garrard  County,  Ky.,  Nov.,  25th, 

1822:] 
I  commanded  a  company  of  volunteers  in  the  battle  of  King's  Moun- 
tain, on  the  7th  of  October,  1780,  and  I  fought  in  Maj.  McDowell's 
battalion  on  the  castwardly  quarter  of  the  mountain.  I  do  not  recollect 
seeing  Col.  Campbell  during  the  action  ,  he  might  have  been  engaged 
too  far  off  from  me.  But  I  well  recollect  to  have  seen  and  heard  Col. 
Shelby,  at  different  times,  animating  ami  encouraging  the  men,  before 
they  were  compelled  to  retreat ;  and  whc  e  enemy  charged  and  drove 
us  rapidly  down  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  I  saw  Col.  Shelby  using 
great  exertions  to  rally  the  men,  and  I  believe  it  was  owing  to  his  cfibrts 
principally,  that  they  were  rallied,  and  turned  back  upon  the 
enemy,  when  the  firing  again  commenced  most  furiously  for  about  ten 
minutes.  The  enemy  then  began  to  give  way  in  their  turn,  but  continued 
a  scattering  fire  upon  us,  until  they  retreated  near  to  the  west  end  of  the 
mountain,  (which  was  from  four  to  six  hundred  yards)  where  they  sur- 
rendered. I  was  within  sixty  to  seventy  yards  of  the  enemy  when  they 
raised  the  flag,  and  was  close  in  with  them  in  a  minute  or  two  afterwards, 
and  I  well  recollect  to  have  seen  Col.  Shelby  there  one  of  the  first  men 
I  met  with.  I  remember  to  have  heard  several  jiersons  enquire  for  Col. 
Campbell  before  he  came  up,  which  was,  I  think,  about  15  minutes  after 
the  surrender.  I  also  recollect  to  have  heard  it  talked  of  in  the  army 
after  the  action,  and  for  many  years  after  when  in  conversation  with 
men  who  were  in  the  battle,  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not  at  the  surrender 
for  some  time  after  the  enemy  had  la  '  down  their  arms." 


(No.  6.)     [Col.  John  Sawyers,  of   Knox   Co.,   Tenn.,   Feb.    i6th,    1823, 

certilles  :] 
That  Isaac  Shelby,  late  Governor  of  Kentucky,  held  the  command 
of  Colonel  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain — that  I  was  a  captain  in  his 
regiment,  and  know  that  he  first  jilanned  the  expedition  with  John 
Sevier,  who  then  held  a  similar  commission — that  said  Shelby  went 
courageously  into  the  action — was  the  commander  who  rallied  the  Sulli- 
van troops  when  broken — that  I  saw  him,  and  received  directions  from 
him  frequently  on  the  mountain,  in  the  heat  of  the  action,  and  heard  him 


APPEXDIX. 


577 


1823. 

miiind 

in  his 

ill  John 

went 

Sulli- 

11s  from 

ml  him 


animating  his  men  to  victory.  lie  was  also  amoni^st  tlie  first  at  the  sur- 
render. I  saw  him  and  Col.  Sevier  when  tiie  enemy  laid  down  their 
arms,  but  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  for  some  minutes  afterwards.  I  also 
state,  that  M.ij.  Kvan  Shelby,  brother  of  Isaac,  and  not  Isaac  Shelby, 
Sevier,  or  Campljcll,  as  I  have  heard  that  some  ntnv  st.ite,  received  the 
flag  and  sword.  I  also  state,  that  fioin  this  circumstance  1  was  led  to 
think  of  (.?am|)bcll  at  tlie  time,  looked  for  him  amoiv^st  the  other  officers, 
anddo  beueve  that  if  lie  had  l^een  there  I  should  have  seen  him;  and 
that  he  did  not  come  up  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  the  enemy 
had  laid  down  their  arms,  and  been  placed  under  guard.  I  also  know, 
that  it  was  the  general  talk  at  the  time,  and  I  have  frequently  since 
heard  it  s[)oken  of  l)y  men  who  were  in  the  action,  as  an  indis|)utaijle 
fact,  that  he  was  not  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  or  at  tiic  suncnder.  I 
also  recollect  tlistinctly  to  have  he.ird  it  said  amongst  the  officers  before 
we  left  tlic  mountain,  as  well  as  on  the  way  home,  and  since,  that 
Campljcll  himself  admitted  it,  and  in  a  private  conversation  with  Col. 
Shcl1)y,  on  the  mmintain,  had  said  tliat  he  could  not  account  for  it.  1 
rememijer  to  have  intended  to  ask  Col.  Shelby  if  this  was  so,  luit  it  has 
so  happened  that  I  have  never  since  named  this  subject  to  him,  nor  he 
to  me. 


(No.  7.)     [James  Cooper,  of  Hawkins  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.  i8th,  1823, 

certifies  :] 

That  in  the  section  of  country  in  wliich  I  live,  I  have  heard  it 
generally  spoken  of  Ijy  tlie  soldiers  wlio  were  in  the  battle  of  King's  Moun- 
tain, tiiat  Col.  Campbell  did  not  act  as  l)raveiy  on  that  occasion  as  he 
did  on  some  others;  that  it  was  a  well-known  fut,  tiiat  he  did  not  make 
his  appearance  at  tlie  place  of  surrciuler  until  after  the  enemy  had  l)een 
taken  from  their  arms,  and  placed  under  guard — that  tliis  is  the  way  in 
wliich  I  have  always  heard  my  neighljors,  James  Cainpljcll,  Joiiii  Long 
and  several  others  si)eak  of  this  nuuter. 

(No.  8.)  [The  statement  of  Col.  Moses  Shelliy  made  upon  oath.] 
I,  Moses  Shelby,  do  state,  that  I  was  in  the  battle  against  the  Hritish 
and  Tories  upon  King's  Mountain,  on  the  7th  day  of  Octolier,  1780, 
in  Col.  Isaac  Shelby's  regiment.  That  I  received  two  wounds  in  that 
action  ;  by  the  last  .oiind,  through  my  thigli  near  my  body,  I  was 
rendered  unable  to  walk,  or  to  stand  without  hel|),  and  was  assisted 
down  to  a  liranch,  some  small  distance  from  the  foot  of  the  Mountain, 
at  tlie  east  end— at  which  place  I  saw  Col.  William  Campbell,  (our 
commander)  sitting  on  his  black  horse.  I  knew  him  |)erfectly,  as  I  was 
well  acquainted  with  him.  This  was  about  the  middle  of  the  action, 
and  I  do  know,  that  Col.  Camiibell  did  not  leave  that  place  until  the 
battle  was  ovei ,  or  until  the  firing  had  ceased.  All  this  is  true,  and 
within   my  owi  knowledge,     (uvcn  under   my  hand   at  New    Madi.d, 

this  2d  <i..yof  yovemlur,  A.  D.  182J.  MOSES  SIIELHV. 

37 


H---!-    - 


578 


SHELBY'S  PAMPHLET. 


(No.  9.)     [Ilcnry  Blcvins, of  Hawkins  Co.,  East  Tcnn.,  Feb.  iSth,  1S23, 

certifies  :j 
That  I  was  a  private  in  Capt,  Elliott's  company,  in  Shelby's 
regiment,  at  King's  Mountain — I  was  not  in  the  action,  but  in 
the  rear  guard  with  the  baggage — I  know,  however,  that  it  was  thf 
general  talk  in  the  army  on  the  next  day,  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not 
in  the  action,  after  they  were  first  beaten  back  down  the  mountain,  and 
that  he  himself  admitted  it,  and  said  that  he  could  not  tell  how  it  hap- 
pened— I  recollect  to  have  heard  him  told  of  it  once,  by  (Sen.  Sevier. 
The  way  in  which  this  took  place  was  this — there  were  about  thirty 
Tories  condemned  to  be  hanged ;  nine  only  were  executed.  They  were 
executed  three  at  a  time,  near  to  Sevier's  tent;  while  it  was  going  on, 
Campbell  came  up,  and  demanded  in  an  angry  manner,  why  they  d'O. 
not  hang  all  these  damned  rascals  at  once  ?  Sevier  laughed  ana  re 
plied,  "  Why,  Colonel,  if  we  had  all  been  as  much  in  earnest  in  the 
action,  I  think  we  should  have  killed  more,  and  had  fewer  of  them  to 
hang."  I  also  heard  it  thrown  up  to  him  by  two  men  who  were 
wounded,  William  Cox  and  Moses  Shelby.  I  heard  Sevier  say,  at 
different  times  afterwards,  that  if  he  had  acted  as  Campbell  did  in  the 
actio.i,  he  would  not  have  blamed  his  men  to  have  killed  him.  It  has 
been  the  general  talk  amongst  those  whom  I  have  heard  speak  on  this 
subject  at  different  times  since,  that  Campbell  did  not  act  with  his  usual 
bravery  on  that  occasion. 


(No.  10.)     [John  Long,  of  Hawkins  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.  19th,  1823, 

certifies:] 

That  I  v.-as  a  soldier  in  Shelby's  regiment  at  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  that  I  know  that  Col.  Shelby  went  bravely  into  the 
action,  and  that  it  was  his  influence  that  rallied  our  troops  when  broken 
— that  I  saw  him  at  the  surrender,  and  know  that  he  first  stopped  the 
firing  on  the  enemy,  declaring  that  as  they  had  surrendered,  they  ought 
not  to  be  fired  on,  which  some  were  disposed  to  do,  who  were  crying  out 
"  Biiford's  play,"  wishing  to  retaliate  for  their  conduct  on  i  former 
occasion.  I  also  state,  that  I  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  either  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  action  nor  at  the  surrender,  and  that  it  was  the  common  talk 
in  the  army,  and  among  the  men  coming  home,  and  frequently  since, 
that  he  was  in  neither.  I  also  recollect  to  have  heard  it  laughed  about 
afterwards,  that  Col.  Sevier  had  told  Campbell  that  if  we  all  had  been 
as  brave  in  the  action  as  about  the  hanging  of  the  Tories,  that  we  should 
not  have  had  so  many  of  them  to  hang.  I  have  heard  it  said  ever 
since  by  those  who  were  in  the  action,  that  Campbell  was  not  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  action,  and  had  not  acted  as  bravely  on  that  day  as  it 
is  said  he  had  done  on  other  occasions. 


APPENDIX. 


679 


(No.  II.)     [Maj.  William  Dol.mcy,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Tcnn.,  Feb.  2i5t, 

1823,  certifies:] 
That  I  was  an  Orderly  Sergeant  in  the  action  of  King's  Mountain 
— that  I  know  that  Isaac  Shelby  distinguished  himself  on  that 
occasion,  and  that  it  was  generally  said  by  those  whom  1  heard  speak  of 
it  at  the  time,  that  he  was  entitled  to  more  credit  than  any  other  officer 
at  the  Mountain — that  I  was  with  him,  and  rode  with  him,  while  placing 
a  guard  round  the  enemy  after  the  surrender — that  I  did  not  sec  Col. 
Campbell  in  the  latter  part  of  the  action,  nor  at  the  surrender,  for  some 
minutes  afterwards,  and  that  I  heard  this  spoken  of  at  the  time,  as  well 
as  since.  It  is  also  my  belief,  from  what  I  understood  at  the  time, 
(though  I  did  not  see  it  myself)  that  it  was  Maj.  Evan  Shelby,  and 
neither  of  the  four  Colonels,  that  received  the  sword  from  the  British 
officer  in  command."  ****** 


(No.  12.)     [Col.  John  Sharp,  of   Sullivan  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.   21st,   1823, 

certifies ;] 
That  I  was  an  Ensign  in  Capt.  Pemljertons'  company,  in  the 
battle  of  King's  Mountain,  and  that  I  was  in  i\\c  front  Ihic  when  the 
enemy  surrendered — that  Col.  Shelby  was  the  first  man  I  heard  order 
the  enemy  to  lay  down  their  arms,  after  they  began  to  cry  for  cpiartcrs ; 
he  damned  them,  if  they  wanted  quarters,  why  they  did  not  lay  down 
their  arms.  I  also  state,  that  I  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  until  some 
minutes  afterwards,  though  I  never  heard  him  charged  with  cowardice 
on  that  account,  and  do  not  pretend  to  say  he  did  not  do  his  duty. 
All  I  can  say  is,  that  I  did  not  see  him  at  that  time. 


(No.  13.)     [George  Morrison,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Tenn.,   Feb.  2otli,    1823, 

certifies  :] 
That  I  have  often  heard  my  father,  Peter  Morrison  and  my 
fadier-in-law  Jonathan  Wood,  who  were  both  in  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  l:)ut  since  dead,  state,  that  Col.  Campbell  was  not  in  the  litter 
part  of  the  action,  nor  at  the  surrender  for  some  lime  after  the  enemy  had 
laid  down  their  arms. 


c  .1 


(No.  14.)  [Jacob  Isely,  of  Sullivan  Co., Tenn.,  Feb.  19th,  1823,  certifies  :j 
That  though  1  was  not  in  the  action  of  King's  Mountain,  I 
avc  ever  since  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  numljer  of  men  who 
were  there,  and  have  always  heard  it  said  by  them,  that  Col.  Campbell 
was  not  in  the  latter  part  of  the  battle — that  he  went  bravely  into  the 
action,  but  after  the  men  were  beaten  back,  had  staid  down  at  a  branch 
with  the  wounded  men,  until  the  firing  had  ceased.  I  also  state,  that  I 
have  often  heard  old  Martin  Rolcr,  who  was  in  the  action,  laugh  about 
what  Sevier  had  said  to  Campbell,  wiicn  Campbell  wanted  all  the  Tories 


\% 


r ;  f 


>  i- 


:■!  4 


5S0 


SHELBY'S  PAMPHLET. 


hung,  that  if  we  had  all  been  as  brave  in  the  action,  there  would  have 
been  fewer  to  hang.  Moses  Shelby  and  John  Fagon,  two  of  the  men 
who  were  wounded,  often  stated  after  their  return  in  my  presence,  and 
that  of  many  others,  that  they  saw  Col.  Campbell  at  the  l^ranch  from  the 
middle  of  the  action  imtil  after  the  surrender.  I  have  also  heard 
Thomas  Elliott  and  Martin  Roler  both  say  often,  that  Moses  Shelby  had 
stated  it  to  his  face. 


(No.  14.)     [William  King,  Esq.,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Tcnn.,  Feb.  21st, 

1823,  certifies  :| 
That  I  have  been  a  resident  in  this  County  for  about  forty 
years  past — that  though  I  was  not  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  yet 
I  have  very  often  in  early  times  heard  our  men  who  were  there,  con- 
verse on  this  suljject,  and  state,  that  Col.  Campl:)ell  was  not  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  action  nor  at  the  surrender  to  receive  the  sword  from  the 
British  Commandant.  I  also  declare  that  I  never  heard  it  either  from 
Col.  Shelby  or  from  any  of  his  family  connections. 


(No.  15.)     [Jacob  Dealer,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.  23d,  1823, 

certifies:] 

That  I  was  in  Capt.  Pemberton's  company,  and  was  amongst 
the  very  first  at  the  ])lace  of  surrender — that  when  the  enemy  cried  out 
for  cjuarters,  I  heard  Col.  Shelby  curse  them,  and  ask,  if  they  wanted 
quarters,  why  did  they  not  lay  down  their  arms.  The  commander 
asked  for  our  general,  and  gave  his  sword  first  to  Maj.  Evan  Shelby, 
who  kept  it  until  Col.  Campbell  came  up,  which  was  twenty  minutes, 
and  I  think  longer,  afterwards.  From  the  discourse  whicli  I  heard 
between  Col.  Shelby  and  the  British  officer,  I  know  that  Campbell  was 
not  there,  and  that  it  was  that  length  of  time  before  he  came  up. 


(No.  16.)     [Joseph  Dealer  certifies  Feb.  23d,  1823:] 
That  I  was  at  the  surrender  with  my  brother  (Jacob  Bealer)  at  his 
side,  and  saw  and  heard  what  he  has  stated  in  the  above  certificate,  and 
know  them  to  be  true,  and  have  always  spoken  of  them,  and  heard 
them  spoken  of  by  tliose  wlio  were  there,  in  this  way. 


(No.  17.)     I  John  Peters,  of  Sullivan  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.  23d,  1823, 

certifies  :] 

That  I  was  in  Capt.  Pemberton's  company  with  Jacob  and 
Joseph  Bealer,  and  amongst  the  first  at  the  surrender — that  I  know  of 
my  own  knowledge,  that  what  Jacol)  Dealer  has  stated  in  his  certificate, 
is  true — that  the  enemy  surrendered,  and  there  was  a  ring  made  round 
tliem  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  before  I  looked  up  and  saw  Col.  Camp- 
bell coming,  with  two  or  three  others,  down  the  mountain — this  is  what  I 
have  always  heard,  and  never  heard  it  contradicted. 


W  fi 


APPENDIX. 


681 


1823, 

:ob  and 
I  know  of 
:rtificate, 
|c\c  round 
il.  Camp- 
1  is  what  I 


(No.  18.)     [Major  Christopher  Taylor,  of  Washington  Co.,  Tcnn.,  Feb. 

25th,  1823,  certifies:] 
That  I  was  a  Captain  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  and 
saw  Col.  Canipljcll  twice  in  the  heat  of  the  action,  l^cfore  we  were  last 
beaten  down  the  mountain — l)ut  that  I  did  not  sec  him  in  the  hitter 
part  of  the  action,  or  at  the  surrender  for  some  minutes  afterwards. 
After  the  enemy  were  placed  in  a  ring,  and  a  guard  four  men  deep 
placed  around  them,  I  saw  him  come  up  close  to  the  place  where  I 
stood,  and  an  opening  was  made  for  him  to  go  amongst  them — before 
this,  one  of  the  Shelliy's,  and  I  think  Evan,  had  received  the  flag, 
the  first  one  having  heen  shot  down,  and  I  saw  him  ride  round,  or 
nearly  round,  the  enemy,  telling  our  men  that  they  had  given  up, 
and  endeavor  in  that  way  to  stop  the  firing.  I  have  always  believed 
that  Colonels  Shelby  and  Sevier  acted  with  distinguished  bravery  on  that 
occasion. 


(No.  19.)      [Rev.  Felix  Earnest,  of  Green  Co.,  Tenn.,  Feb.  28th,  1S23, 

certifies:] 
That  I  was  in  Sevier's  regiment,  Capt.  William's  company,  at  the 
battle  of  King's  Mountain — that  I  was  at  the  surrender,  and  saw  the 
enemy  stacking  their  arms,  and  a  guard  placed  around  them,  but 
that  I  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  at  the  place  of  surrender,  for  some 
minutes  afterwards. 


(No.  20.)    [William  Willoughby,  of  Lincoln  Co.,  Ky.,  March  171)1,  1S23, 

certifies :] 
That  I  was  a  Lieutenant  in  Capt.  Beattie's  company,  and  Col. 
Campbell's  regiment,  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain.  It  has  al- 
ways been  my  opinion,  that  Col.  Isaac  Shelby  and  Col.  John  Sevier 
deserved  as  much  honor  from  their  country  on  that  occasion  as  any 
other  officers  on  the  mountain — that  I  saw  Col.  Shelby  often  animating 
our  men  during  the  action.  I  did  not  see  Col.  Campbell  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  action,  nor  at  the  surrender,  until  the  enemy  were  in 
the  act  of  stacking  their  arms.  I  have  always  understood,  that  Col. 
Shelby  received  the  sword  from  tlic  British  commander ;  and  I  also  state 
(although  I  don't  know  it  of  my  own  knowledge)  that  it  was  a  report 
thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  th  t  Col.  Campbell  was  not  present  at  the 
surrender,  to  receive  the  sword  from  the  British  commander. 


(No.  21.)     [Robert  Elder,  April  2d,  1823,  certifies:] 

That   I   was   a   volunteer  of  the    regiment    commanded    by    Col. 

William  Campbell,  in  the  action,  fought  upon  King's  Mountain,  on  the 

seventh  day  of  October,  in  the  year  1780,  and  do  iiereby  declare,  that  I 

never  saw  Col.  Campbell  on  the  field  of  battle  after  the  first  onset  of  the 


i 
I'  » 


L    f 


r>82 


CAMPBELL   VLVDICA  TED. 


action,  until  tlic  surrender  of  the  enemy.  I  also  declare,  that  I  often 
saw  Col.  Isaac  Shelby  endcavorin;;  to  animate  our  men,  and  particularly 
at  the  time  of  the  l)attle  when  the  enemy  charged  m\v  lines,  and  drove 
us  down  the  mountain,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
yards,  or  upwards.  I  both  saw  and  heard  Co'. Shelby  make  great  ex- 
ertions to  rally  our  men,  which  he  finally  effected,  and  turned  them  back 
upon  the  enemy,  and  drove  them  in  their  turn  until  they  surrendered. 


(No.  32.)  [John  McCuIloch,  of  Washington  Co.,  Va.,  certifies:] 
Tiiat  though  I  was  applied  to  by  the  frientls  of  the  late  Col. 
Campljcll,  to  know  what  I  could  state  in  relation  to  tiie  battle  of  King's 
Mountain,  I  never  did  suliscribe  to  the  certificate  which  I  am  told  has 
been  published  in  my  name;  nor  have  I  ever  seen  it,  either  in  writing 
or  in  print,  and  cannot  therefore  say  whether  it  states  the  truth  or  not. 
I  saw  Col.  Campbell  at  the  enemy's  markee,  how  far  it  was  from  there 
to  the  place  of  the  surrender,  or  whether  the  enemy  or  some  of  them 
might  not  then  be  surrendering,  I  cannot  state. 


(No.  23.)      [Gen'l.   James   Winchester,    of    Tennessee,    in    a   letter  to 

Thomas  Smith,  Kscj.,  dated  P'ebruary  last,  says,  in  relation  to 

Mr.  Preston's,  publication:] 

"  I  perfectly  recollect  in  the  year   1785,  when   1  first  came  to  this 

country,   that   a   number  of  respectable   men,    among  whom  were  the 

Bledsoes,  well  acquainted  with  the  affair  of  King's  Mountain,  did  not 

hesitate  to  say,  that  Sevier  and  Shelljy  had  a  fair  claim  to  the  honors  of 

that  day  ;  that  Campbell  was  some  distance  fronr  the  place  of  action,  &c." 


,,,   r 


REJOINDERS  TO  GOVERNOR  SHELBY. 

The  papers  properly  coming  under  this  head  arc  too  lengthy  for  in- 
sertion. The  first,  by  Wm.  C.  Preston,  Colonel  Cam])beirs  grandson, 
was  addressed,  June  twentieth,  1S13,  to  the  Editor  of  the  Kt'titttclcy  Re- 
porter, in  vindication  of  his  ancestor  from  the  charge  of  cowardice  at 
King's  Mountain,  made  in  that  pajier  by  "Narrafor."  Mr.  Preston 
ag:iin  came  forward  in  defence  of  Colonel  Campbell,  repelling  the  same 
charge  made  in  Governor  Shelby's  letters  to  Governor  Sevier,  adducing 
sevcr.d  statements  of  King's  Mountain  survivors,  disproving  the  accusa- 
tion; and  citing  Governor  Shelby's  letter  of  October,  1780,  to  Colonel 
Arthur  Campbell,  and  the  official  re|)ort  of  the  battle,  signed  by  Shelby, 
as  conflicting  with  his  recent  letters  to  Governor  Sevier,  and  animad- 
verting upon  the  motives  which  could  have  prompted  Governor  Shelby 
to  engage  in  the  work  of  detracting  from  the  merits  of  the  dead. 

On  the  appearance  of  ("lovernor  Shelby's  i)amphlet  publication,  in 
1823,  Wm.  C.  Preston  rejilied,  May  tenth,  in  that  year,  in  the  Colum- 
bia, S.  C.    Telescope,  making  a   manly  defence.     His   father.    General 


APPENDIX. 


583 


lUon,  111 
Coliim- 
C'.cneial 


Francis  Preston,  at  tlic  same  lime,  madi;  a  reply  in  ilic  Al)inj;iion,  Va., 
Guziitc,  bringinj;  forward  an  oxplanalory  cerlificalc  of  John  McCullocIi, 
blatiny,  in  effect,  liial  lie  had  foryotten  having  made  iiis  first  certificate 
wlien  he  was  induced  to  give  one  to  (lovernor  Slielljy's  agent,  denying 
that  he  had  ever  made  any  statement,  lie  also  introduced  Colonel 
Matthew  VVilloughby's  affidavit,  stating  that  he  was  in  CainpljcH's  regi- 
ineiU,  on  tlie  King's  Mountain  rampaign,  and  he  never  heard  a  word 
uttered  at  that  lime  derogatory  of  Colonel  Campbell's  "great  bravery 
and  good  condui :l"  in  tlie  battle  ;  adding  that  "the  statement  of  Moses 
Shelby  would  not,  perhaps,  be  credited,  from  the  character  he  bore 
about  the  tmie  and  after  the  b:'ttle,  as  he,  with  others,  was  engaged  in 
plundering,  in  the  Carolinas,  both  Whigs  and  Tories,  and  running  the 
property  so  plundered  to  this  side  of  the  mountains." 

General  John  Campl)ell,  then  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Council  of 
State,  made  a  vigorous  reply  to  Governor  Shelby,  in  the  Richmond  En- 
quirer, June  twenty-fourth,  1823,  discussing  the  points  in  controversy, 
refuting  the  charge  of  cow. irclice,  and  Shelby's  error  in  suppo!iing  he 
saw  Colonel  Campbell,  during  the  heat  of  the  battle,  two  hundred  yards 
away,  sillmg  on  his  b,ild-fa  ed  I)lat  k  horse — citing  the  fad  lliat  it  loas 
CaiiipdcH's  servant,  John  JhodJy,  who  rode  the  black  horse  on  that  oc- 
casion. 

The  principal  certificates  adduced  by  the  Messrs.  Preston,  and  Gen- 
eral John  Cainpljell,  follow  in  their  order: 

Col.  Wm.  Edmondson,  the  Major  of  Campljell's  regiment,  in  his  cer- 
tificate, in  1813,  states:  Campbell  was  made  the  chief  commantier  of  the 
King's  Mountain  Kxjicdition,  not  by  any  pre-concert,  or  as  a  matter  of 
conciliation  towards  the  older  Colonels,  1)ut  by  a  caucirs  of  field  officers; 
and,  as  well  as  he  could  recollect,  the  whole  of  tiie  suffrages  were  given 
to  Colonel  Campbell.  It  was  generally  understood  after  the  battle,  that 
Colonel  (_!aiiip!jell  had  performed  his  duty  with  great  judgment  and  de- 
termined l)r,ivery.  I  was  accjuamted  with  Colonel  Campbell  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  anil  always  found  him,  and  ever  believed  him,  to  be  a  man 
of  dauntless  intre|)idity. 

David  iJeattic,  of  Campbell's  men,  in  1813,  states:  I  saw  Col. 
Campbell,  in  the  hottest  of  tlie  engagement,  riding  along  the  lines,  en- 
couraging and  c.xhorti.ig  the  men,  and  directly  under  the  enemy's  fire. 
He  continually  rode  along  the  lines,  marshalling  and  leading  on  the 
men  until  his  horse  !)ecame  fatigued,  when  he  dismounted,  ami  cum- 
manded  on  foot  until  the  close  of  the  ac  tion.  When  the  flag  w.is  raised, 
the  British  surviving  commander  and  suite  came  near  to  the  sjjot  where 
I  and  several  others  were  standing,  and  inciuired — "where  is  your  com- 
mander ?"  Kithcr  I,  or  one  of  those  standing  with  me,  pointed  to  Col. 
Campbell,  and  observed  that  he  w.is  our  comm.uuler;  when  the  British 
officer  immediately  advanced  towards  him,  holding  his  sword  by  the 


584 


C  IMPliEI.L   1 7A V> /( >/  7£D. 


point,  and  delivered  it  to  him.  After  the  cn^'agenioiit,  I  lieard  many  of 
the  men  express  tlicir  achiiiration  of  the  courage  of  Col.  Camiibeil.  I 
saw  him  repeatedly  during  the  battle  in  those  places  where  it  raged  most 
violently. 

James  Crow,  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  states,  in  1S13:  ^Vhen 
charged,  we  ran  down  the  mountain  a  small  distance,  not  more  than 
twenty  or  thirty  paces.  I  saw  Col.  Cami)ljcll  not  f.ir  from  us.  As  the 
enemy  turned  we  turned.  *  *  »  When  the  British  flag  was 
raised,  I  was  in  less  than  the  length  of  my  gun  of  Col.  Campbell,  when  we 
closed  round  the  enemy.  UePeystcr,  the  15ritis!i  commander,  was  sitting 
on  a  grey  beast,  and  addressed  Col.  Camiibell,  referring  to  the  firing 
after  the  flag  was  raised  :  "Col.  Cami)bell,  it  was  damned  unfair,"  and 
rejjeated  the  words  a  second  time.  The  Colonel  made  him  no  reply, 
but  ordered  him  to  dismount.       *      »      * 

Maj.  James  Snodgrass,  of  Campbell's  men,  states  :  I  frequently 
saw  Col.  Campbell,  during  the  engagement,  in  lire  most  dangerous  and 
exposed  situations,  and  am  convmced  that  he  could  not  have  left  the 
lines  for  any  length  of  time.  I  saw  hinr  immediately  alter  the  surren- 
der, and  before  the  enemy  had  entnely  ceased  firing,  coming  from 
amongst  the  enemy's  troops,  with  several  swords  in  his  hands. 

Capl.  James  Keys,  of  Campbell's  regiment,  states  :  When  the  ene- 
my raised  a  flag,  and  called  for  quarter,  I  heard  a  British  officer  incpiire 
for  Col.  Campbell,  who  being  pointed  out  to  him,  he  advanced  and 
tendered  his  sword,  which  Col.  Campbell  declined.  The  firing  had 
not  yet  ceased,  and  I  heard  the  British  officer  remonstrate  with  Col. 
Campbell  against  the  conduct  of  his  soldiers. 

John  MrCulloch,  of  Campbell's  men,  in  1813,  states:  I  did  not  see 
Col.  Campbell  at  the  rommenrement  of  the  ac:tion  ;  but  after  the  regi- 
ment had  driven  the  enemy,  and  had  reached  tiie  top  of  tiie  mountain, 
I  recollect  perfectly  to  have  seen  him,  and  the  spot  where  he  was—  I  saw 
him  nigh  one  of  the  enemy's  markees  on  foot,  his  horse  having  given 
out — he  was  pressing  on  with  all  the  speed  he  could  towards  the  enemy 
— a  few  minutes  before  their  siuTendcr. 

Gen.  tieorge  Rutiedgc,  of  Shelby's  regiment,  in  181 3,  states  :  I  saw 
Col.  Campbell  at  the  commencement  of  the  engagement,  and  then 
towards  the  last  of  the  action,  when  we  had  driven  the  British  into 
small  bounds,  and  surrounded  them — when  Campbell's  and  Shelby's 
regiments  had  got  intermixed.  1  well  recollect  to  have  seen  Camjil^ell 
acting  with  distinguished  bravery.  He  was  on  horseback,  stripped  to  his 
shirt  sleeves,  and  his  shirt  collar  open.  He  was  very  hoarse.  The 
enemy  raised  the  flag — it  disappeared,  when  it  was  instantly  raised  again. 
They  did  not  yet  cease  firing.  Campbell  lushcd  through  amongst 
us,  calling  out — "cease  firing"  waving  his  swo  il  downwards — "for 
God's    sake,   cease  firing!"     He  met  Dcl'eystcr  with  the  flag.     I    saw 


APPENDIX. 


585 


ot  see 

regi- 

lUain, 

I  s;i\v 

;iven 

nemy 


DePcystcr  present  tlic  handle  of  his  sword  to  Campbell,    and  he  re- 
ceived it.      I  saw  several  men  fall  on  both  sides,  after  the  flag  was  raised. 

Thomas  Jefferson  writes  from  Monticello,  to  Gen.  Francis  Preston, 
November  tenth,  1822:  Your  favor  gives  mc  the  first  information  I 
had  ever  received,  that  the  laurels  which  Col.  Campbell  so  honorably 
won  in  the  battle  of  Kmg's  Mountain  had  ever  been  brought  into 
question  by  any  one.  To  him  h.is  ever  been  ascribed  so  much  of  the 
success  of  that  brilliant  action  as  the  valor  and  conduct  of  an  able  com- 
mander migh*  justly  claim.  *  *  *  I  remember  well  the  deep  and 
grateful  impression  made  on  the  mind  of  every  one  by  that  memorable 
victory.  It  was  the  joyful  annunciation  of  that  turn  of  the  tide  of 
success  which  termmaled  the  Revolutionary  war  with  the  seal  of  our 
independence.  The  slighting  expression  complained  of,  as  hazarded  by 
the  venerable  Shelley,  might  seem  inexcusable  in  a  younger  man  ;  liut 
lie  was  then  old,  and  1  can  assure  you  dear  sir,  from  mortifying  ex- 
perience, that  the  lapses  of  memory,  and  the  forgetfulncss  incident  to 
old  age,  are  innocent  subjeds  of  compassion  more  than  of  blame.  The 
descendents  of  Col.  Campbell  may  rest  their  heads  quietly  on  the  pillow 
of  his  renown.  History  has  consecrated,  and  will  forever  preserve  it  in 
the  faithful  annals  of  a  grateful  country.* 

Henry  Dickenson,  of  Campbell  s  regiment.  May,  1823,  states:  The 
enemy  charged  upon  us  with  their  bayonets,  and  we  retreated  down  the 
mountain,  when  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  on  foot  i)ursuing  iiis  men  in  a 
quick  gait,  calling  iijion  them  to  halt,  which  they  soon  did,  ami  came 
back,  and  he  with  them  began  to  fight  again.  We  advanced  wiliiin 
thirty  or  forty  yards  of  the  enemy,  who  made  a  firm  stand  for  some 
time;  but  after  awhile  broke  and  retreated  upon  the  mountain  where 
they  halted  again  a  few  minutes;  but  on  our  advancing  and  tiring,  they 
continued  their  retreat  to  the  wagons,  and  haUed  behind  them,  which 
were  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  from  which  we  soon  drove  them 
down  to  the  end  of  the  mountain  where  I  supjiose  they  were  met  by  the 
troops  sent  around  to  that  quarter,  for  it  was  immediately  called  out  by 
some  men  just  before  me,  that  the  enemy  had  raised  the  flag.  I  stepped 
back  a  few  paces,  and  called  to  Col.  Campbell,  that  the  enemy  had 
raised  the  flag.  Frequently  during  the  battle  I  saw  him  exposed.  He 
directed  me  to  go  with  him.  We  went  to  the  line  of  surrender,  where 
wc  met  the  British  officers,  with  their  swords  in  their  hands,  holding 
them  about  the  middle,  with  the  hilt  down,  and  Col.  Cami)l)ell  put  his 
hand  out  to  receive  them,  when  the  officers  drew  back,  aj^jjarently  as  if 
they  did  not  intend  to  deliver  the  swords  to  him— supposing,  as  I  pre- 
sume, from  his  dress,  that  he  was  not  the  commander,  as  he  had  no  coat 
on,    and   his   collar   was  open.     Seeing  his  countenance  alter,   I  was 


The  origin.il  of  this  letter  is  preserved  by  Robert  M.  Hughes.  Esq  ,  Norfolk,  Va. 


586 


CAMPBELL   VhXDICA  TED, 


1;; 

r 

I); 

apprehensive  he  would  use  home  violence,  which  they  might  return.  I 
took  my  },'un  from  my  sliouldcr,  at  the  same  time  mentioning  that  this 
was  our  commander.  T';e  ofiicers  then  bowed  to  Col.  Campbell,  and 
delivered  their  swords  to  him,  which  he  placed  under  his  arm,  as  well  as 
I  remember,  and  turned  around,  directing  them  to  follow  him,  which 
they  did.  I  never  heard  any  charge  or  insinuation  of  Campbell's  want 
of  bravery,  or  leaving  his  men  during  the  action,  until  the  unfortunate 
controversy  which  I  see  in  the  papers,  and  which  I  lament,  as  I  do 
know  Campbell  was  a  brave  man,  having  seen  him  frequently  in  the 
battle,  rallying  his  men  on  the  retreat,  and  encouraging  and  urging 
them  on  the  advance,  sometimes  before  them,  and  sometimes  amongst 
them.  I  particularly  noticed  Campbell,  as  he  was  our  commander,  and 
I  was  well  acquainted  with  him.  Col.  Shelby  must  be  jnistaken — I  hope 
unintentionably  so,  in  stating  that  he  saw  Col.  Campbell,  when  our 
troops  retreated  down  the  mountain,  two  hundred  yards  from  them,  for 
at  that  time  I  saw  Col  Campbell  on  foot  exerting  himself  to  rally  the 
men.  I  saw  Samuel  Newell,  a  little  before  we  got  to  the  wagons,  on 
horse-back,  his  thigh  very  bloody  from  the  wound  he  had  received,  en- 
couraging the  men  to  advance— I  thought  him  a  Ijrave  soldier.  He  was 
a  man  of  the  strictest  veracity,  and  of  very  correct  deportment.  I  was 
not  much  acquainted  with  Moses  Shelby  ;  he  appeared  to  be  a  loose, 
rattling  character.* 

John  Craig,  of  Campbell's  men,  states:  As  we  dismounted  near  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  riding  along  the  line,  to  take 
the  head,  and  as  he  passed  he  said,  "  Here  they  are,  my  brave  boys, 
shout  like  hell,  andfit^ht  like  devils  !  "  He  was  then  in  advance  of  his 
men.  \Vc  obeyed  his  orders,  and  rushed  rapidly  up  the  mountain.  We 
were  driven  down — rallied,  returned,  and  drove  the  enemy.  They 
hoisted  their  flags  in  token  of  surrender.  Here  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  on 
foot,  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  receive  the  sword  from  the  surviving  and  com- 
manding officer  of  the  British  army.  After  the  victory  was  complete, 
and  the  sword  delivered  to  Campbell,  I  remember  he  being  present,  as 
well  as  suntlry  other  officers  and  men,  they  all  joined  in  three  loud 
cheers.  !  was  with  Campbell  at  Whitzell's  Mills,  where  we  were  much 
cut  to  pieces,  but  he  acted  with  his  usual  courage. f 

Col.  John  Wilhcrspoon,  of  Cleveland's  regiment,  states:  When  the 
battle  commenced,  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  engaged  bravely  animating  his 
men,  and  watching  and  defending  every  point  that  seemed  necessary. 


*  Judge  Peter  Johnston  certifies  to  the  veracity  .ind  intCRrity  of  Henry  Dickenson,  clerk 
of  Russell  County  court,  .intl  has  formerly  he.-ird  him  relate  the  particuLirs  of  the  action, 
corresponding  precisely  with  those  here  detailed. 

t  Craig's  relation  of  binding  up  Lieut.  Edmonson's  wound  is  omitted.  In  a  subsequent 
statement,  Mr.  Craig  adds,  that  the  reason  the  Americans  left  King's  Mountain  in  such 
haste  was,  that  a  report  came  that  Tarleton  was  in  pursuit,  and  would  rescue  the  prisoners. 


APPENDIX. 


587 


*  *  When  \vc  were  driven  down  the  hill,  I  saw  Col.  Campbell,  with 
other  officers,  animating;  and  rallying  his  men  ;  and  I  saw  liim  again 
when  the  enemy  surrendered ;  he  was  llien  attendinj^',  with  the  rest  of 
the  officers,  to  the  security  of  the  prisoners. 

Col.  Benjamin  Sharp,  of  CampljcH's  men,  slates:  During;  the  heat 
of  the  action,  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  three  times,  ride  baciiwarus  and  for- 
wards in  advance  of  our  lines,  in  the  space  between  us  and  the  enemy, 
with  his  sword  in  his  hand,  and,  as  well  as  I  could  understand  him,  ex- 
claimed, "  r.oys,  remember  your  liljcrty !  " 

William  Edmondson,  of  Campbell's  regiment,  states:  Whilst  giving 
way  before  the  bayonet,  Col.  Campbell  was  gallantly  rallying  the  men  ; 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  he  brought  them  to  order,  and  diey  again 
advanced  upon  the  enemy.  They  were  ag.iin  driven  back  a  small  dis- 
tance, and  rallied  a  second,  and  then  a  third  time — the  last  time  we 
succeeded. 

Joseph  Phillips  of  Cleveland's  men,  states:  Campbell's  regiment 
acted  instantly  after  the  advanced  guard  fiankcd  off,  and  was  fighting 
for  some  considerable  time  before  Cleveland's  command  could  render 
him  any  aid.  That  part  of  the  mountain  which  Campbell's  men  were 
compelled  to  ascend,  was  the  most  craggy,  rough,  steep  and  difficult 
part  of  it.  His  men  made  the  attack  under  a  heavy  fire  of  the  enemy. 
Cleveland's  command  were  compelled  to  ride  along  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  three  or  four  hundred  yards  before  they  dismounted,  and 
pressed  up  towards  the  enemy.  The  surrender  commenced  as  soon 
as  they  reached  the  top.  Encamped  that  night  on  the  battle  ground, 
marching  the  next  day  at  ten  or  twelve  o'clock,  Col.  Campbell  remain- 
ing behind  to  bury  the  dead,  joining  the  army  that  night. 

Col.  David  Campbell,  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  states:  I  saw  Col. 
William  Campbell  on  horseback  at  the  time  the  battle  commenced,  rid- 
ing along  the  lines,  encouraging  the  men.  When  driven  down  the 
mountain.  Major  Edmondson  endeavored  to  rally  the  men  ;  but  did  not 
succeed,  imtil  Col.  Campliell  came  along  the  lines,  calling  to  the  men  to 
"hah,  and  return,  my  brave  fellows,  and  you  will  drive  the  enemy  imme- 
diately;" and,  it  appeared,  as  soon  as  they  heard  his  voice  they  halted, 
returned,  renewed  the  attack,  and  drove  the  enemy  along  the  mountain, 
from  behind  rocks,  and  their  wagons,  until  Ferguson  was  slain,  and  they 
surrendered.  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  there,  on  foot,  engaged  in  securing 
the  prisoners.  About  this  time,  I  observed  Capt.  DePeyster  inquire  for 
the  commanding  officer.  Col.  Campbell,  who  was  but  a  litUe  distance 
from  him,  was  pointed  out  to  him ;  he  stepped  forward,  and  delivered 
his  sword.     I  was  not  more  than  twenty  feet  from  DePeyster. 

Gen.  William  Russell,  Lieutenant,  commanding  Neal's  company,  of 
Campbell's  regiment,  states  :  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  go  into  the  action  on 
horse-back.     We   were   forced   back,    but   rallied   and   engaged  again. 


1 1 


<  ■ 


If: 

it  ■    ' 

ill 


588 


CAMPnEI.I.  VIXDICA  TED. 


About  half  way  between  the  place  where  we  ascenclccl  tlie  mountain  and 
the  enemy's  wajjons,  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  in  his  shirt  sleeves  pasiing 
our  line,  cncouraj^'inj^  the  w"-  in  a  hnul  anil  aniinatin}^  tone  of  voice. 
When  the  enemy  were  sun  \u<g,  \  saw  him  coming'  from   amonyst 

them  with  two  swords  in  h  land.  1  was  intimately  acquainted  with 
him. 

William  Snoilgrass,  of  Campbell's  men,  after  ^ivinj;  an  account  how 
he  and  Edward  Smith  were  sent  by  Col.  Campbell,  early  on  the  morn- 
ing after  the  b.ittle  to  meet  and  turn  the  footmen  up  Bioad  river,  and 
how  the  dead  were  buried,  states  ;  On  the  top  of  the  mountain,  there 
were  but  a  few  steps  between  us  and  the  enemy  in  the  battle.  Capt. 
DcPeyster,  the  senior  British  officer,  after  Kerguson  fell,  surrendered 
his  sword  to  Col.  Campbell.  Our  men  were  sent  home  as  soon  as  wc 
were  out  of  the  reach  of  Tarlcton's  Light  Horse. 

Col.  Samuel  Newell,  of  the  Virginia  men,  in  April,  1823,  states  :  Was 
wounded  in  the  attack  on  the  guard — the  first  of  the  fighting.  As  1 
turned  back,  after  being  wounded.  Col.  Campbell  parsed  me  engaged 
in  forming  his  regiment.  I  fot  a  horse  and  rode  back  to  the  lines.  The 
regiment  advanced — was  c'  ed  by  the  British  with  the  bayonet,  and 
broke — retreating  farther  1  as  necessary,  across  the  intervening  val- 

ley, to  the  top  of  tlic  next  n^.,  ,'re  1  met  them.  I  saw  Col.  Campbell  and 
Maj.  Edmondson  about  half  the  distance  between  their  own  men  and 
the  enemy,  calling  on  their  men  to  halt,  which  they  did,  and  advanced 
a  second  time  to  the  charge.  Tiiey  had  two  p.utial  checks  afterwards — 
only  partial,  as  the  men  learned  not  \.o  dread  tlie  bayonets  as  at  fust. 
The  last  charge  the  regiment  made  was  the  longest  and  warmest — last- 
ing twenty  minutes,  as  stated  by  the  British  Surgeon  who  held  his  watch. 
I  do  not  believe  the  regiment  was  more  than  thirty  feet*  from  the 
British  line.  In  the  very  midst  of  this  storm,  1  saw  Col.  Campbell  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment,  and  so  much  advanced  in  front  as  to  be  in  danger 
from  the  fire  of  his  own  men.  As  well  as  I  can  recollect,  his  encourag- 
ing words  were — "Come  on — come  on,  my  brave  fellows,  another  gun — 
another  gun  will  do  it--d--n  them,  we  must  have  them  out  of  this." 
This  I  saw,  and  this  I  heard.  Col.  Campbell  was  at  this  time  on  foot, 
his  horse  having  given  out. 

Visited  Maj.  Lewis,  his  brotliers,  and  Capt.  Smith,  all  of  Cleveland 
regiment,  and  all  wounded,  when  billeted  in  Burke  County  ;  wlien  in  a 
conversation  on  the  batUe,  Maj.  Lewis  said :  "Boys,  1  believe  you  all 
did  your  duty,  and  deserve  well  for  it,  but  let  me  tell  you,  had  it  not 
been  for  Campbell  and  his  Virginians,  I'll  be  d — d  if  Ferguson  would 
not  have  been  on  that  mountain  yet,  had  he  chosen  to  stay  there." 

In  May  following.  Col.  Newell  further  stales  :     I  saw  Col.  Campbell 


*  Gov.  Campbell,  .idds.  in  explanation,  that  this  is  a  slip  of  the  pen— it  should  be  yards. 


4  d; 


TV 


APPENDIX. 


689 


the 
the 
iger 
rag- 
in — 


and 

in  a 

all 

not 

ould 


lending  his  men  the  moment  the  Hritish  l)n)kc  ;  and  what  infatuation 
could  then  induce  Col,  Caniijhell  to  turn  his  back,  and  run  from  his  own 
victorious  troops,  and  a  defeated  enemy  ?  It  is  inconceivable — incredilile 
— impossible  !  I  have  ever  believed  that  not  mor^  tiian  one-half  of  our 
regiment,  that  is  two  hundred,  were  in  the  battle — the  rest  being  left 
behind.  Thirty-live  of  the  killed  and  wounded  were  of  our  regiment, 
thirteen  of  whom  were  commissioned  officers  ;  and  no  regiment  or  corps 
gained  the  summit  of  the  hill  until  the  Virginia  regiment  o|)ened  the 
way  for  them.  Col.  Shelby  and  his  brother  state,  that  they  knew  Col. 
Campbell,  [whom  they  thought  they  saw  in  the  distance,  shirking  duty 
and  danger]  by  his  black  bald-faced  horse.  The  fact  is.  Col.  Campbell 
did  not  ride  a  black  bald-faced  horse  that  day  ;  but  a  pretty  large  bay 
horse — not  bald-faced,  that  was  in  thin  order,  and  JMoken  down  by  pre- 
vious fatigue,  giving  out  early  in  the  action.  At  the  moment  alluded  to, 
as  the  time  of  Col.  Campbell's  [supposed]  di^lintpiency,  he  was  not  on 
horse-back,  but  or.  his  feet,  encouraging  and  animating  his  men  to 
victory,  uttering  words  already  stated.* 

Maj.  James  Snodgrass,  of  Campbell's  men,  in  April,  1823,  states: 
Frequently  saw  Col.  Campbell  during  the  engagement  in  the  most  dan- 
gerous and  exposed  situations,  part  of  the  time  on  horse-back,  and  jiart 
of  the  time  on  foot.  The  horse  -which  Col.  Campbell  rode,  tchen  this 
affiant  saw  him,  was  a  bay.  Having  seen  Col.  Campbell  frequently 
during  the  action,  and  in  different  positions,  I  am  convinced  that  he 
could  not  have  left  the  lines  for  any  length  of  time.  I  saw  him  immedi- 
ately after  the  surrender,  and  before  the  firing  had  entirely  ceased,  com- 
ing from  amongst  the  enemy,  with  several  swords  in  his  hands,  and 
some  of  the  British  officers  following  him,  within  a  few  steps  of  this 
affiant.  At  that  time,  he  never  heard  any  intimation  that  Col.  Campbell 
did  not  perform  his  duty  gallantly  at  King's  .Mountain,  or  anywhere 
else.  Instead  of  being  considered  cowardly,  he  was  always  thought  to 
be  too  rash.  It  was  the  report  of  the  country,  after  King's  Mountain 
battle,  that  Moses  Shelby  was  engaged  in  plundering  indiscriminately 
both  Tories  and  Whigs,  and  kept  very  bad  company. 

Col.  Thomas  Maxwell,  of  Shelby's  regiment,  states:  When  the 
attack  was  made  on  the  main  picket  guard,  /  saw  Col.  Campbell  on  a 
bay  horse,  in  his  shirt  sleeves.  He  had  principally  rode  this  horse  on 
the  march.  I  knew  both  of  his  horses  well.  The  action  commenced  at 
the  most  eastern  end  of  the  spur  of  the  mountain  where  Campbell  com- 
manded. Campbell's  and  Shelby's  men  contended  with  the  British 
regulars  directed  in  person  by  Ferguson,  for  sometime  before  Cleveland 
and  Sevier's  men  got  into  action.     Capt.  Shelby's  company,  to  whicli  I 

*  In  a  third  statement,  August  4th,  182,1.  Col.  Newell  gives  .-in  account  of  the  olTicers  of 
Campbell's  regiment,  naming  the  killed  and  wounded,  so  far  as  he  could  do  so— which  facti 
have  been  incor|>oratcd  into  the  text  of  this  work. 


i^f 


690 


CAMPBELL   UN  Die  A  TED, 


belonged,  was  twice  repulsed  by  llie  Uiitisli  n-j;iil.irs ;  were  rallied,  and 
renewed  the  fight,  driving  the  enemy  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  where 
we  were  joined  by  Col.  Cami)bell's  main  l)ody,  and  forced  our  foes  along 
the  summit  to  their  wagons  and  tenis.  I5y  this  time  Cleveland's  and 
Sevier's  columns  were  in  action.  About  three  miiiuites  after  Furguson 
was  killed,  1  saw  Col.  Campbell — he  was  then  on  fool.  TJic  enemy 
then  very  cpiickly  hoisteil  their  fn-st  (l.ig,  and  com  ncncetl  surrendering 
in  every  direction. 

Andrew  Evins,  of  Campbell's  men  iii  May,  1S23,  states:  I  saw 
Col.  Cami)l)e!l  at  the  dose  of  the  battle,  and  at  the  surrender;  for  when 
1  went  to  foe  at  the  enemy,  Cami)bell  threw  uj)  my  gun,  and  said, 
"Evins,  for  God's  sake  tlon't  shoot — it  is  murder  t(j  kill  them  now,  for 
they  have  raised  the  fl.ig  ;"  and  so  passed  on  round  the  prisoners,  and 
was  on  foot.  He  rode  u  bay  horsr  in  t/w  battle ;  but  hii  liorsr ga^'c  out, 
and  he  took  it  on  foot. 

Ik-njamin  White,  of  the  Virginia  regiment,  in  May,  1823,  states  :  Col. 
Cam f>bell  rode,  afiay  use.  1  saw  him  receive  the  sword  from  the  Hrit- 
ish  Captain— 1  think  Ins  name  w.is  Del'eyster,  and  lie.ird  Col.  (Jampbell 
order  the  flag  to  be  received,  and  1  believe  it  was  ICvan  Shelby  that 
received  it.  I  saw  Col.  Cani|)bell  very  frecpiently  during  the  whole 
action  encouraging  his  men,  and  feel  conlideiU  he  w.is  not  a!)sent  from 
his  men  one  moment  during  the  whole  battle.  I  was  in  the  battles  of 
Point  rieasant,  Princeton,  Prandywine,  (ierinantown,  and  others,  and  in 
all  th(;se  battles  1  never  saw  a  braver  man  tli.m  C(j1.  Win.  Campbell, 
according  to  my  judgment. 

William  Moore,  of  Campbell's  men,  in  June,  1S23,  states;  Just 
before  the  action  commenced,  Col.  Campbell catiie  ridiii_i[  atoui^  the  lines, 
on  a  bav  01  sorrel  horse,  w^  vivWw^,  I  lemeiriier — //  loas  not  his  black 
horse,  1  am  '.onrulent — ,ind  tohl  us  t(j  |)rime  our  guns  afresh,  and  |)re- 
pare  for  at:tion.  We  coniinenced  the  action,  and  I  saw  him  on  the  same 
horse  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  with  1  think,  a  handkerchief  tied  about  his 
head.  At  the  close  of  the  action — when  1  was  just  shot  dcjwn,  having 
my  thigh  broken — 1  saw  him  waving  his  sword  ilownwaril,  and  calling 
to  his  men  to  cease  firing,  that  the  enemy  had  smrendereil.  lie  was 
still  in  his  shirt  sleeves.  I  not  only  saw  him  act  bravely  on  that  day,  but 
also  two  or  three  weeks  previously  with  the  Tories  on  New  river. 

Israel  Mayter,  of  Cimpbell's  regiment,  in  November,  1822,  and  Ju-^e, 
1823,  states:  From  the  commenic'inent  of  the  battle  until  ne.ir  its  i:li)sc, 
when  he  was  woundeil,  .md  tlie enemy  had  hoisti'done  white  lla;.;,  he  s.uv 
Col.  Campbell  freipicntly  ;  ami  he  was  duiing  the  whole  time  bir-.dy  en- 
gaged in  encouraging  his  men,  and  leading  them  on  up  the  motmt.dn. 
His  regiment  twice  gave  w.iy,  and  retreated  some  distance.  Col. 
Campbell  rallied  them  each  time,  and  brought  them  again  into  action  in 
the  most  gallant  manner  ;  and  his  whole  conduct,  as  far  as  aftiant   saw 


APPENDIX. 


6U1 


or  li..;ir.l,  was  tli.u  of  a  hravc  ami  good  ..ff.cer.  Affiant  furtli.-r  well 
rec,.ll,..cts.  ti.at  Col.  Campheil  rode  a  bay  horse  in  tlw  uclion,  and  that 
his  servant  rode  a  black-  horse  or  a  dark  bnn.ni. 

Capt.  James  Keys,  of  Cain|,i)eirs  men,  in  June,  1S23  slates  ■  When 
llicaction  wasal.oul  torommence.  hesawCol.  Can,pl."e'll  give  his  mle 
to  his  servant  man,  wlio,  as  well  as  this  alllant  n,  .,11,..  ts.  unts  then  on  a 
blaelc  horse;  an.i  he  wlj  ,e,:ol!e<;ts,  that  Col.  Campbell  rode  a  bay  horse 
m  the  action. 

Willia.M    Anderson,    of   Cam, .hell's    re^;imenl  ;    J.,se,,h    Phillips,   of 
Uevelan.ls  men  ;  Jacob  Nonis,  Jan.es  I'ean  e,    and    (ii.jeon    Harrison 
of  Sevier's  reynnent,  also  fmnished  statements  that  it  was  his  bay  hor^'e 
~~noth,s  bald-faced  blach-Wv.xiC.A.  Campbell  rode  in  the  earlier  ,. art  of 
the  action. 


KING'S  MOUNTAIN  BALLADS. 

Fi--.i<r;us()N'.s  I)|.;fkat— 17K0.  * 

Cmne  all  yon  <^(Mn\  people,  I  p,.iy  y.)n  draw  near, 
A  tragical  story  you  i|ui.:kly  shall  hear 
Of  Whigs  and  of  Tories,  how  they  bred  a  great  strife, 
When  they  (  based  old  Ferguson  out  of  his  life. 

iJrave  Colonel  Williams  from  I  lillsboro' came, 
The  South  Carolinians  flocked  to  him  amain, 
Kotir  hundied  and  fifty,  a  jolly  brisk  crew, 
After  old  Ferguson  we  then  diil  pursue. 

We  mar.  h'd  to  the  Cow|)ens-^brave  C  im|,lHll  was  there. 
And  Shelby,  and  CLvclan.l,  and  Coloiu-I  .Sevier, 
Taking  the  lead  of  their  bokl  mountaineers, 
Ihave  Indian  lightirs,  dev.^id  of  all  fears. 

Tluy  were  men  of  renown— like  lions  so  bold, 
Like  lions  imd.uinted,  ne'er  to  be  coniroll'd. 
They  were  bent  on  the  game  thev  had  in  dieir  eye, 
Determined  to  take  ii  -to  conqu.'r  or  dit-. 

We  m, in  h'd  hom  the  Cowpens  that  very  same  night, 
S.iinelnnes  w.'  were  wrong- -sometimes  we  were  right. 
Our  heart's  being  run  in  true  Liberty's  m.ild, 
We  regarded  n.H  hunger,  wet,  weary  nor  cold. 


.Siiat,:li<-s  of  ilunnirle  lialla.l  h.nve,  from  lime  to  lime.  Ii.-i-n  p.ililished  It  h.is  Iwen 
prei«rvcd  in  its  fntirety  l.y  Pr.  J.  II  I,„Ka,.,  w!,o  foun.l  it  a,„„„jj  the  ol.l  ,.:,,,ers  of  K„l,ert 
Long,  .1  Kevoliitionary  soldier,  of  Laurcm  County,  S..uth  Caruli.,.!,  'Ihc  wiitcr's  name  ia 
nut  linuwii. 


592 


A'lXG'S  MOUNTAIN  BALLADS. 


i- 


(■ ;;; 


Early  next  morning  we  came  to  the  ford, 
Cherokee  was  its  name — and  " Biiford"  *  the  word, 
We  march'd  thro"  tlie  river,  with  courage  so  free, 
Expecting  tlie  foenien  we  miglit  quickly  see. 

Like  eagles  a  hungry  in  search  of  their  prey. 

We  chas'd  the  old  fox  the  best  part  of  the  day. 

At  length  on  King's  Mountain  the  old  rogue  we  found, 

And  wc,  like  bold  heroes,  his  camp  did  surround. 

The  drums  they  did  beat,  and  the  guns  they  did  rattle, 
Our  enemies  stood  us  a  very  smart  battle, 
Like  lightning  the  flashes,  like  thunder  the  noise, 
Such  was  the  onset  of  our  bold  mountain  boys. 

The  battle  did  last  the  best  part  of  an  hour. 
The  guns  they  did  roar — the  bullets  did  shower, 
With  an  oath  in  our  hearts  to  conquer  the  field. 
We  rush'd  on  the  Tories — resolv'd  they  should  yield. 

We  laid  old  Ferguson  dead  on  the  ground, 
Four  hundred  and  fifty  dead  Tories  lay  round — ■ 
Making  a  large  escort,  if  not  quite  so  wise, 
To  guide  him  to  his  chosen  abode  in  the  skies. 

Brave  Colonel  Williams,  and  twenty-five  more 
Of  our  br.ive  heroes  lay  roU'd  in  their  gore, 
Willi  sorrow  their  bodies  wc  laid  in  tlfc  clay. 
In  hopes  thai  to  heaven  their  souls  took  their  way. 

We  shouted  tlie  victory  that  we  did  obtain. 
Our  vojf      ..'ere  heard  seven  miles  on  tiie  plain, 
Liberty  shall  stand— and  the  Tories  shall  fall, 
Here's  an  end  to  my  song,  so  Cod  bless  you  all ! 

king's  mountain— I /So.f 

'Twas  on  a  pleasant  mountain  the  Tory  heathens  lay. 

With  a  doughty  Major  at  their  head,  one  Ferguson,  they  say, 

Cornwallis  had  detach'd  him  a  thieving  for  to  go, 

And  catch  the  Carolina  men,  or  lay  the  Reljels  low. 

The  scamp  had  rang'd  the  country  in  search  of  Royal  aid, 

And  with  his  owls  perch'd  on  high,  he  taught  them  all  .lis  trade. 

But,  ah  !  that  fatal  morning,  when  Shelby  brave  drew  near, 
'Tis  certainly  a  warning  that  (lovernmenl  should  hear, 


''*    "niiford"  was  the  countersign  that  day. 

t  This  hallad.  written  shortly  after  the  action,  was  published  on  .-»  smalt  sheet  the  fol" 
lowing  year,  and  is  included  in  Frank  Moori.-  s  Songs  and  Ballads  of  the  .ImerhaH 
Revolution 


m 


APPENDIX. 


593 


And  Campbell  brave,  and  Cleveland,  and  Colonel  John  Sevier, 

Each  with  a  band  of  gallant  men  to  Ferguson  appear. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  setting  behind  the  western  hills, 

Just  then  our  trusty  rifles  sent  a  dose  of  leaden  pills  ; 

Up— up  the  steep  togetiier  brave  Williams  led  his  troop, 

And  join'd  by  Winston,  bold  and  true,  disturbed  the  Tory  coop. 

The  Royal  slaves— the  Royal  owls,  flew  high  on  every  hand. 

But  soon  they  setdcd— gave  a  howl,  and  quarter'd  to  Cleveland  ; 

I  would  not  tell  the  number  of  Tories  slain  that  day. 

But  surely  it  is  certain  that  none  did  run  away. 

For  all  that  were  a  living  were  happy  to  give  up. 

So  let  us  make  thanksgiving,  and  pass  the  bright  tin  cup  ; 

To  all  our  brave  regiment,  let's  toast  'cm  for  their  health. 

And  may  our  glorious  country  have  joy,  and  peace,  and  wealth. 


SUPPOSED  LOYALIST  SONG.— By  Gen.  J.  W.  DePeyster. 
They  caught  us  on  a  mountain  bald,  'twas  no  place  for  a  stand. 
For  woods  and  thickets,  dense  and  close,  the  summit  did  command, 
But  those  who  led  us  on  that  day,  of  'Crackers'  had  no  fear, 
And  when  we  charg'd  the  varments  ran— did  quickly  disappear. 

But  vain  was  pluck,  and  vain  each  charge,  for  from  each  tree  there 
A  deadly  rifle  bullet,  and  a  little  spurt  of  flame ;  [came, 

The  men  who  fired  we  could  not  see— they  pick'd  us  off  like  game, 
To  call  such  work  fair  fighting  seems  a  misuse  of  the  name. 

So  ev'ry  shot  told  one  by  one,  till  of  the  reg'lar  few, 
Most  lay  stark  dead,  just  where  they  foil,  like  beasts  in  a  battue. 
Then  the. militia  cried   enough,'  and  loud  for  quarter  bawl'd. 
And  huddled  in  a  bunch,  and  whipp'd.  upon  that  jnountain  bald. 

Alas  !  alas  !  our  Gen'ral  fell,  quite  early  in  the  fight. 
Eight  bullets  in  him— each  enough  to  kill  a  man  outright. 
Our  second  he  got  plump  d  also,  and  then  the  game  was  up. 
When  fell  the  'Buil-dog'  Ferguson,  and  next  the  Bull-dog's  pup. 

D— n  'em,  we  kill'd  as  many  '  Rebs'  as  they  had  kill'd  of  us. 
But  then  as  pris'ners  we  were  bound,  some  suffer'd  ten  times  worse, 
And  some  had  better  far  been  shot  than  stripp'd,  starv'd,  and  froze. 
And  .see  those  hung,  our  comrades  dear,  a  struttin'  in  their  clothes. 

llC^Two  interestinK  Kinc's  Mount.iin  balLids,  written  by  modern  Americ.in  poets, 
have  appeared  in  llar/>,-rs  M.igazine  -one  by  William  Gilmore  Simnis,  in  October,  i860  • 
the  other  by  Paul  H.  Hayue,  in  November,  1880. 

*■  THE  END. 


INDEX. 


Abney,  Long  Sam,  mentioned,  310-it 

Adair,  John,  mcntiuncd,  173,  174,  528 

Adams,  Mrs.  M.  V.,  mentioned,     .     5 

Alexander,  Wm.,  cited,  .        .        349 

Allaire,  Lieut.  Anthony,  sketch  of,  480 

cited,    74,  Si    89,   97,99.    102,  149 

203,  207,  208,  250,  279,  280,  281,  284 

293,  297,  299,300,321,  324.  325,  328 

334.    340,   344,   346,   347,   350,   354 

355.  483- 

Allaire's  Diary,  .        .        484  515 

Allaire,  newspaper  accounts,   .  516  19 

Allegiance,  taking  o.ith,  .         147 

Allen,  Col.  Richard,  noticed,      .    462 

Allis,  W.  H.,  cited,      .        .        5,  179 

Almon'p,  Remembrancer,  cited,    .    39 

44,  61,  122,  192,  200,  208 

American  /Archives,  cited,       .        381 

American  Pioneer,  cited,     .         .     229 

246,  274,  283.  308,  322 

American  Review,  cited,  120,  122,  169 

i38,  189,  194,211,215.  224,228,235 

252,  274,  317, 319,  327,  339.  343.  344 

347. 
American  Revolution,  causes,      .     17 
American  Volunteers,   6t,  62,  237,480 

.J.84,  485.486.  492.  493.  49'^.  499-  5o> 

506.  507. 
Andersen,  Fort,  taken,  84,  86,  89,  502 
Anderson,  Col.  Rob't,  mentioned,  452 
Anderson,  Wm.,  cited,  .  268,  591 
Andre,  John,  mentioned,  .  37-39 
Andrew's  A rnen'ca ft  IVar,  cited,  53, 299 
Annual  Register,  ciicd,  .  51,53 
Armand's  Corps,  mentioned,  .  41 
Armstrong,  Col.  Martin,  mentioned, 

354.  359.  388.  5'2 
Ashe,  Gen.  John,  defeated,  .  19 
Ashby,  Captain,  mentioned,       .     200 


Atkinson's  Casket,  cited,  .  387,  402 
Augusta    County,  Va.,    Ms. 

records,  cited,       .        .        .        380 

Augusta,  Georgia,  besieged,    .         199 

200,  295-96,  341,  508,  520 

Avery,  Col.  Isaac  T.,  cited,    .         149 

151.  156 
Back  Water  Men,  mentioned,  204 

206,  208,  210,  212,  217,  236,  274 
Raker,  John,  mentioned,  .  442 
Buld  Place  of  Yellow  Mountain,  177 
Baldwin,  Isaac,  noticed,  .  341  42 
Balfour,  Col.  Nisbet,  mentioned,    141 

142.  373.  496.  501 
Ballads  of  King's  Mountain,  .  591-93 
Ballendine,  Col  Hamilton,  a  mytli,  22 
Ballew,  Richard,  cited,  149,  334,  340 
Bancroft,  George,  cited,  .  4,  34 
61,  252,  326,  336,  375,  376,  393,  467 
Banner,  Hon.  John,  mentioned,  .  5 
Banning,  Benoni,  wounded,  .  304 
Barbaric,  Capt.  John,  noticed,  .  515 
Barber  and  Howe's  New  yersey, 

cited 61,  157 

Barry,  Andrew,  mentioned,  .  365  67 
Barton,  Capt.  John,  noticed,  .  459-60 
Bates,  Bloody  Bill,  mentioned,  .  242 
Battles  of  Revolution,  cited,  .  39,  322 
Baylor,  Col.  George,  surprised,  .  57 
Bealer,  Jacob,  cited,  ,  570,  5S0 
Bcaler,  Joseph,  cited,  .  570,  580 
Beason,  Solomon,  mentioned,  230 
Beatson's  Memoirs,  cited,  38,  39,  55 
Bcattie,  Capt.  David,  noticed,  251 

404,  405,  581 
Beattic,  David,  cited,  .  287,  583 
Beattie,   Ensign  John,   noticed,     248 

304,  405 
Beattie,  Williaijn,  noticed,        .        405 


1 

I 


[ 


596 


INDEX. 


Beaulait,  Lieutenant,  wounded,  491 
Becne,  Capt.  Jesse,  mentioned,  424 
Bcene,  Robert,  \V.itau_i;a  rifleman,  loS 
Bentalou'b  Reply  to  Johnson,  cited,  61 
Bentley,  Hon.  John  A.,  mentioned,  5 
Bernard,  Gen.  Smion,  cited,  289 

Beverly,  Capt.  John,  mentioned,  449 
Bibby,  John,  mentioned.  .  340 
Bickerstatf  s  Old  Fields,  .        328 

Bicknell,  Thomas,  killed,  .  261,  304 
Big  Bear,  Cherokee  Chief,  .  430 
Biggerstaff,  Capt.  A.,  noticed,  343,483 
Biggerstaff,  Ben.  cited,  .  ,  354 
Bi.shop,  cured  of  laziness,  .  450 
Blackburn,  Lieut.  Wm.,  killed,  304 
Blackstock's,  battle  at,  74,  102, 46S,  5 1 5 
Blair,  James,  mentioned,  149,  180,  181 
Blalock,  Maj.  S.  G.,  cited,  .  184 
Blanton,  James,  cited,  .  .  354 
Blasingames,  noted  Wiiigs,  .  76,  505 
Blevins,  Henry,  cited,  .  326,  578 
Bobo,  Hon.  Simpson,  cited,  5,  95,  470 
Bond,  Jesse,  mentioned,  .        429 

Boone,  Dan'l,  mentioned,        .         184 
295  96,  406.  427,  429,  438 
Boone  and  the  Piontcrs  of  Ken- 
tucky, work  on,  designed,       .        6 
Border  Forays  and  Adventures, 

work  on,  designed   ...        6 

Boren's  or  Bowen's  river,    .    323,  510 

Botta's  History,  cited,        .         .         34 

Bouchelle,  T.  S ,  mentioned,       .         5 

Bowcn,  Charles,  cited,     .        .        256 

262-63,  281,  436 

Bowcn,  Lieut.  Reese,  noticed,   256-57 

262,  304,406,  526 

Bowen,  Capt.  Wm.,  mentioned,      406 

Bowman,  Captain,  killed,  .        24 

Bowyer,  Col.  John,  captured,     396-97 

Boyd,  Colonel,  killed,     .        .        298 

Boyd,  John,  killed,  .        .        302.  322 

Bradley,  Dr.  A.  Q.,  cited,  .        5 

128,  222,  275,  326 

Bradley,  Wm.,  mentioned,  303 

Brady  and  his  Scouts,  work  on, 

designed,         ....        6 


Brandon,  Christopher,  cited,      .      129 

131,286 

Brandon,  Col.  Thomas,  sketch  of,  469 

470;  noticed,  3,  76,   104,  no.    119 

129,    132,    142,    143,    166,   191,   217 

244,   269,   285,    286,  326,  336,   362 

520,  537.  538- 

Brandy  wine  battle,       .        .        51-55 

Branson,  Eli,  mentioned,        .        388 

Brant,  the  Mohawk  Chief,  work 

on,  designed,  ...        6 

Breazcale,  cited,        .        .        88,  122 
Biier  Creek  Defeat,  ,         .         435 

Bright's  or  Aveiy's  Place,  men- 
tioned, .  .  .  177,  178 
British  Annual  Register,  cited,  51,  53 
Brock,  R.  A.,  cited,  .  .  5,  378 
Bro.ldy,  John,  mentioned,  267-68,  583 
Brown,  Capt.  Gabriel,  mentioned,  468 
Biown,  Col.  H.  A.,  cited,  5,  249,  460 
Brown,  Maj.  Jacob,  noticed,  .  424 
Brown,  J., Tory,  mentioned,436-37, 438 
Brown  Capt.  John,  noticed,  .  460 
Brown,  John,  killed,  .  .  303 
Brown,    Plundering    Sam,   Tory 

freebooter,  134-39.  241.  3i7.  388 

Browne,  Col.  Thomas,  mentioned,  141, 

200,  373,  508,  509 

Bryan,    Col.  Sam.,  mentioned,        77 

78,  141,  216,435,455 

Buford,  Col.  Abraham,  defeated,      41 

45,  139,  282,496-97 

Bullen,  Wm.,  wounded,  .        304 

Burgin,  A.,  cited,         .         .         5,  184 

Burgin,  Maj.  Ben.,  cited,         .         151 

Burgin,  D.,  cited,        ...        5 

Burke,  John,  killed,    .        .         145-46 

Burk's  Hist.  Virginia,  cited,  2S8 

296.  359 
Bynum,  Hon.  J.  G.,  mentioned,      178 

216 

Bynum,  Hon.  W.  P.,  cited,       .        5, 

203,  206,  216,  354,  359 

Bynum,  Rev.  W.  S.,  mentioned,  5, 198 

Byrd,  CoL  Wm.,  expedition,       .     402 

403,  418 


INDEX. 


697 


Caldwell,  VVm.,  mentioned,  .  258 
C;illalKin,  Lieut.  Joel,  mentioned,  424 
Callaway,  Hon.  Elijah,  cited,  .  5 
186,  221,  287,  290,  389 
Callaway,  Dr.  James,  mentioned,  5 
Callaway,  Joseph,  mentioned,  441 
Callaway,  Mrs.  P.  E.,  mentioned,  5 
Callaway,  Richard,   mentioned,     438 

439,  441.443 
Callaway,  Thomas,  mentioned,  438 
Callaway,  William,  mentioned,      441 

443.  443 
Cameron.  Alex.,  mentioned,  83,  108 
Camp,  Lieutenant,  mentioned,        108 

109,  505 

Campbell,  CoL  Arthur,  mentioned,  172 

173.    174.    175.   215,    338,  379,   3S0 

381,  383,   389,  390,    391,    396,   398 

399,  400,  402,  527-29,  530,  537. 

Campbell,  Capt.  Chas.,  noticed,  379-80 

Campbell,  Col.,  David,  of  Tenn.,  251 

255-57,  287,  587 

Campbell,  Ex-Gov.  David,  cited,        5 

175,    178,   245,  247,    268,    27s,   305 

334.   338.   343.   378,    379.  387.   390 

399,  402,  5S8. 
Campbell's  Hist,  of  Fa.,  cited,  389 
Campbell,  Gen.  John,  cited,  268,  583 
Campbell,  CoL  John  B.,  cited,  572-75 
Campbell,  Capt.  Peter,  mentioned,  106 
108,  109.  114,  504 
Campbell,  Col,  Richard,  noticed,  410 
Campbell,  Ensign    Robert,  cited,    177 

178,  179.  181,  221.  223,  243,    253-54 

255,  268,  275-76,    277,  281,    332,  yj:i 

354.  336,  343.  409.  410. 

Campbell,  Ensign  Robert,  King's 
Mountain  accounts,         .         535-40 

Campbell,  Robert,  captured,  .         198 

Campljcll,  Ex-Gov. Wm.  B.,  men- 
tioned,       5 

Campbell,  Gen.  William,  sketch  of, 
378-402 ;  early  life,  37S-S0 ;  Dun- 
more's  war,  380;  engages  in  Revo- 
lution, 381-83  ;  marriage,  383;  ser- 
vices ill  civil  life,  3S3-84,  387  ;  hang- 


ing of  Hopkins,  384-87  ;  New  river 
expedition,  371,  387-S8 ;  King's 
Mountain  campaign,  3,  171-76; 
King's  Mountain,  the  march,  176- 
95;  chosen  commander,  187-90, 
522,  541-42,  548.  535,  564;  council, 
195-96;  pursuing  the  enemy,  214- 
35;  strength  of  regiment,  214-15; 
Holston  men,  3-4,  242-43 ;  battle 
array,  243-48  ;  battle-ground  craggy, 
250;  heroic  conduct,  251,  255-57; 
Tarlcton's  approach,  266-67,  288, 
290,  316,  320,  322,  345-46.  367-68, 
516,  518,  544-45;  Bald  Face,  mis- 
take, 267-6S,  388-89,  583,  589-91  ; 
rcconnoitering,  268,  539,  desperate 
charge,  272;  final  charge,  277-78; 
British  flag  displayed,  283;  firing  on 
Tories,  283-86  ;  huzzas  for  lilierty, 
284  ;  an  unhappy  event,  284-85,  389- 
90;  receiving  swords,  286-87;  losses, 
304-305  ;  orders.  320,  326,  328,  329, 
531-32;  kindness  to  Tories,  326, 
351,  352,  512,  531-32;  respect  for 
the  dead,  322  ;  denounces  plunder- 
ing, 329-30,  532 ;  execution  of 
Tories,  330-45,  391,  510-11,  539-40, 
544.  545.  551  ;  oriicial  report,  352, 
522-24;  visit  to  Gen.  Gates,  352; 
disiiosition  of  prisoners,  350,  352, 
357-60;  visit  to  Gov.  Jefferson,  358; 
good  words  to  victors,  374-76,  521- 
22 ;  disaster  to  the  British,  376-77  ; 
presage  of  independence,  377;  Cher- 
okee expedition,  390-91;  Whitzell's 
Mills  and  Guilford,  391-95,  533-34; 
chosen  Brig.-General,  395 ;  servc^ 
under  LaFayette,  393-97;  death  and 
c'.iaracter,  397-402,  404.  534.  535: 
variously  mentioned,  520-592;  cited, 
302,  388,  394,  526. 

Candler,  Maj.  Wm.,  nodced,  207 

214,227,  244,  341,469 

Cane  Creek  fight,  .  .  147-48 
189,  198-99,507,  528,  551 

Garden,  Maj.  John,  mentioned,    .  141 


i 


m 


ft  1 


"    # 


:;  l 


p 


508 


INDEX. 


Carolinian,  The,  cited,    . 
Carr,  Capt.  Patiick,  noticed, 


3'3 
124-25 

340-41 
Carrington's  Battles  of  the  Revo- 
lution, cited,  ...        39,  322 
Carson,  Col.  John,  noticed,    .         170 

197,  198 
Carson,  Hon.  Sam  P.,  mentioned,  150 
Carson,  Mrs.  Sam  P.,  cited,  .  473 
Carter,  Col.  John,  mentioned,  83,  170 
Carter,  Hon.  Wni.  B.,  cited,  5,  178,  179 
Caruthcrs,  Lieut.  Andrew,  noticed,  424 
Carutlier's  0!,l  North  State,  cited,  287 
Caswell,  Gen.  Richard,  mentioned,  41 

116,  141,  413 
Cedar  Spring,  derivation  of  name,  74 
Cedar  Spring,  llritish    attack   on 

Thomas,  73-75,  79,80,83,  99,  loi,  120 
Cedar  Spring,  Dunlap's  attack,  89-102, 

120,  503,  506 
Cedar  Spring,  plat  of  locality,  .  91 
Chambers  and  Crawford,  desert- 
ers, .  .  ,  177-78.  199.  335 
Chambers,  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  cited,  5,  179 
Charleston,   S.  C,    1776,   British 

repulse 20 

Charleston,  S.  C,   1779,  Provost's 

invasion,       .         .        -        .        491 
Charleston,  S.  C,  1780,  siege  of,  20-47 

484-96 
Charleston  Courier,  cited,  .  277 
Cherokee  Outbreak,  382-83,  433-34 
Chcrokees,  mentioned,  .  .  415 
429-30,  451,  452 
Chew,    Lieut.  Wm.,   mentioned,     108 

109,  505 
Childcrs,  John,  wounded,  .  304 
Chittim,  Jolin,  wounded,  .  258,  303 
Chitwood,  Capt.  James,  Tory,  340 

344-43.  5II.  5'6,  518 
Christian,  Col.  Gilbert,  mentioned,  417 
Christian,  Col.  Wm.,  mentioned,    380 

382,  410,  420 
Chronicle,  MaJ.  Wm.,  noticed,  3 

214,  219,   225,  231-32,  257,  278,  322 
477.  521,  549.  551- 


Cillcy,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  C.  A.,  men- 
tioned,     ...        5,  179,  261 
Civil  Warfare,  its  bitterness,  123 

138-39,  140-41.  330.  371-74 
Claiborne,  Col.  H.  L.,  mentioned,      5 
Clarke,  Col.    Elijah,    services,  78,  83 
85,    89-102,     103-22,    141-44,   162-64 
168,    187,    199-201,    203,    206,    207 
213,  214,  238,   295-96,  341,  503-506 
508,  509,  520,  541. 
Clark,  Col.  (ieorge  Rogers,  services,  19 
Clark,  Col.  George  Rogers,   Life 

ami  Campaign,  designed,  .  6 
Clark's  Fork  of  Bullock's  Creek,  211 
Clark,  Capt.  John,  of  Georgia,  93,  98 
Clark,  John,  of  Tenn.,  cited,  .  88 
Clarke,  Col.  Thomas,  mentioned,  23 
Clary,  Col,  Daniel,  noticed,   .         106, 

109,  143,  294 
Cleveland,  Col.  Ben.,  sketch  0^425-54; 
New    river    expedition,    388,    435 ; 
mentioned,  3,  119,  173,  175,  180,  183, 
184,   189,  520;  speech    in    council, 
195;  mentioned,   196,  204,    214;  in 
battle  array,  243-48,  436  ;  speech  to 
his  men,  248-49;  adventure,  261-63  ; 
mentioned,  27S,  308,  349,  352-54.  5^2, 
520-92;    losses,  304;    Tory    execu- 
tions,   330-45,     391,     438,      510-n, 
539-40,    544.    545.    551  ;    vindicates 
Campbell,  389. 
Cleveland,  Gen.  B.,  mentioned,  5,  458 
Cleveland,  Jeremiah,  cited,  5,  186 

Cleveland,  Capt.  John,  mentioned,  458 
Cleveland,  Hon.  John  B.,    men- 
tioned,     .....         5 
Cleveland,    Lieutenant     Larkin, 

wounded        .         .         185,  186,  458 
Cleveland,  Capt.  Robert,  noticed,  441 
442,  443.  445,  458,  554 
Clinton,    Sir    Henry,    siege    of 

Charleston,  .  .  .  20-.-'"' 
Clinton,    Sir    Henry,  on    King's 

Mountain 377 

Cloud,  Hon.  J.  M.,  mentioned,     ,       5 
Clough,  Maj.  Alex.,  killed,        .         57 


INDEX. 


699 


Clowney,  Samuel,  adventure,  126-28 
Llowney,  Hon.  W.  K.,  mentioned,  128 
Cloyd,  Maj,  Joseph,  mentioned,  392 
Cochran,  Jolm  L.,  mentioned,  .  5 
Cochrane,  IMaj.  Charles,  men- 
tioned, .  .  62-64,484,485 
Cocke,  William,  noticed,  .  88 
Colleton,  Lady,  mentioned,  66,  491 ,496 
Collins,  Abram,  mentioned,      .       202 

363-64,  548 
Columbian  Mai:;azine,  cited,  .  290 
Colvill,  Capt.  Andrew,    noticed,     223 

247,  405,  536 
Conj^aree  Stores,  mentioned,  .  498 
Congress,  yoiirnals,  cited,        .         358 

374.  390 
Congress,  Library  of,  mentioned,  4 
Continental  yourval,  cited,  .  158 
Conyers,  Maj.  James,  mentioned,  65 
Cooper,  James,  cited,  .  .  577 
Cooper,  James  Fenimore,  cited,  53,  54 
Cornwallis,  Lord  Charles,  men- 
tioned 22,  46,  47,  68,  71,  120,  140 
"144,    171,    200,    276,     340,    363-74 

376-77.  391-95.  545- 
Corry,  James,  killed,        ,         .         304 
Cowpens,  derivation  of  name,        223 
Cowpens,  battle,  2S5-86,  529,  547 

Cox,  \Vm.,  wounded,       .        304,  578 
Coyle,    or    Cowles,    Tory,    men- 
tioned,     .         .         .         436-37.  438 
Craig,  John,  cited,  .        .        247 

251,  284,  320,  392,  586 
Craig,  Capt.  Robert,  noticed,  405 

Crawford  and  Chambers,  desert- 
ers, .  .  177-78,  199,  335 
Crawford,  D.  R.,  cited,  .  5,  69 
Crawford,  G.  W.,  cited,  .  5,  179 
Crider's  Fort,  mentioned,  .  185 
Crockett,  Col.  Walter,  mentioned,  387 
Croghan,  Maj.  Wm,,  mentioned,  23 
cited,  .  23,  24-26,  28,  29,  32,  33 
Cromwell,   Life  and  Adventures 

of,  noticed,     .        .        425-26,  427 

Crow  James,  cited,  .  .        234 

250,  272,  278,  283,  584 


Cruger,    Lieut.-Col.   J.   H.,  men- 
tioned,   113,  115,  116,  140,  199,200 
203,  377.  508,  509. 
Culbertson,  Josiah,  .         .        gr 

92,93,  107,  108,  136-39,  252-53 
Cummings,  Rev.  Charles,         242,  3S1 
Cunningham,  Col.  Robert,  men- 
tioned,    ...        72,  143,  294 
Cunningham,    Wm.,  the    Bloody 

Scout,  ...  83,  242,  468 
Cusack,  Adam,  hung  by  British,  373 
Cutbirth,  Ben.,  mentioned,  438,  441 
Cutbirth,  Daniel,  mentioned,  .  440 
Daniel,  Hon.  John  W.,  mentioned,  4 
Darby,  Hon.  John  F.,  cited,  234,  235 
Darcy,  Joel,  cited,  .  .  .  164 
Davenport,  Martin,  mentioned,  333 
Davenport,  Col.  Wm.,  noticed,    333-34 

340,  473 
Davidson,  Bon.  and  Wm.,  men- 
tioned, .        .        .        150,  508 
Davidson,  Geo.  F.,  mentioned,  5 
Davidson,  Mrs.,  mentioned,     198,  508 
Davidson,    Gen.    W.     L.,    men- 
tioned,   1 89,    193,  216,  227,  296,  455 
520-21.  542. 
Davie,  Col.  W.  R.,  mentioned,  207,  369 
Davis,  Oroondatcs,  cited,     .            I2r 
Dawson's  Battles,  cited,    39,  122,  393 
Day's  Penn.  Hist.  Coil's,  cited,        53 
DeBosen,  Lieut.-Col.,  killed,         58-59 
Deckard  rifles,  noticed    .         .         175 
Defiance,  Fort,  mentioned,      185,  334 
DeKalb,  Gen.  John,  mentioned,  41,  43 
DeLancey,    ALxj.  John   P.,   men- 
tioned,      ....        53-54 
Delaney,  Maj.  Wm.,  cited,      569,  579 
Dcnard's  Ford,  locality,    203,  206,  509 
DePeyster,    Capt.    Abraham,   sketch 
of,    479;      noticed,     88,     106,    113 
117,   247,   256,    257,    273,  274,   276 
280,   2S1,    183,  2S6,  297,    327,   346 
360,   499,    500,  501,    506,    507,   510 

512,  517-19.  533.  539.  546,  550.  566 
584,  585,  587,  588,  590;  the  "Bull 
Dog's  pup,"  593. 


tin 


600 


INDEX. 


Dercyster,  Gen.  J.  W.,  cited,    .        5, 

51,  237,  274.  284,  289,  29S,  340,  593 

DcTcriiay,  Chevalier,  mentioned,    43 

44 
Dcvoe,  Thomas  F.,  cited,  .  1 58 
Dickenson,  Henry,  cited,         .        278 

287,  585-86 
Dickerson,  M.  O.,  cited,     .        .         5 
149,  160,  161,  345 
Dickey,  Andrew  and  David,  men- 
tioned, .         145,  154,  232,  280 
Dickson,  Maj.  Joseph,  noticed,     .     85 

257.  477 
Dickson,  Misses  Mary  and  Myra 

A.,  cited,  ....  473 
Dillard,  Maj.  James,  noticed,  269,  468 
Dillard,  Mrs.  Mary,  adventure,         74 

102,  468 
Dixon,  Dr.  B.  F.,  mentioned,     .         5 
Doak,  Rev.  San^iiel,  mentioned      176 
Dobson,  Di-.,  mentioned,        ,        349 
Donelson,  Col.  John,  mentioned.   415 
Doss,  John,  killed  by  Tories,      .     447 
Dryden,  Nathaniel,  killed,      .        304 
Duff,  David,  killed,         .         .         302 
Duncan,  Jesse,  mentioned.         437-41 
Dunlap,  Maj.  James,  mentioned,  76 
at   Earlc's   Ford,   80-83,    '20,   501 
Cedar  Sprinj;  affair,  89,  102,  238,  503 
mentioned,  88,  129,  136,  144,  199 
204,  238;  wounded,   149,   155,   156 
sketch  of,  1 56-64. 
Dunmore's    expedition,    men- 
tioned, .        .        .         380,  412 
Dunmore  dislodged  from  Gwyn's 

Island,  ....         382 

DuPortail,  Gen.  Lebegue,    .        29,  36 
Dysart,  Capt.  James,  noticed,     .     304 

384.  404 

•        387 

83.  203 

.      80-83 

120,  501 

Earnest,  Rev.  Felix,  cited,        572,  581 

Edmondson,  Andrew,  killed,  304 

Edmondson,  Andrew  J.,  cited.  .    408 


Dysart,  John  B.,  cited,    . 
Earle,  Baylis,  noticed, 
Earle's  Ford,  fight  there. 


Edmondson,   John,   Samuel   and 
Wm.,  mentioned,         .        .        305 

Edmondson,  Lieut.  Robert,  Sen., 
killed,  .        .         248,  304,  407 

Edmondson,    Lieut.    Robert,   Jr., 
wounded,        251,  253,  407,  408,  586 

Edmondson, Capt. Wm., killed,  255-56 
304,  405,  525,  526 

Edmondson,  Maj.  Wm.,  noticed,    250 
305,  381,  402-404,  583,  587,  588 

Edmondson,  Wm.  cited.  .       587 

Elder,  Robert,  cited,      .        .  581 

EUet,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  cited,       .         87 

102,  245,  275,  473 
Elliott,  Capt.  James,  noticed,  417,  578 
Espey,  Capt.  Samuel,  noticed,         100 

103,  157,  303,478 
Estill,  Hon.  Ben.,  cited,  .  402,  404 
Eutaw  Spring's  battle,  .  .  410 
Evans,  Philip,  noticed,  .  185 
Evins,  Andrew,  cited,  268,  283,  590 
Ewin,  Hugh,  mentioned,  .  365-67 
Exaggeration  in  military  opera- 
tions         301 

Fagon, John,  wounded,  .  304,  5S0 
Fair  Forest  Settlement,  .  .  76,  90 
Fanning,  David,  mentioned,  72,  106 
113,  117,  122,  135,  139,  242,  294,  481 
Fayssoux,  Mrs.  Dr., mentioned,  66,  491 
Fear,  Capt.  Edmund,  mentioned,  474 
Ferguson,  Dr.  Adam,  cited,  52-53 

211,  278,  287,  295,  321 
Ferguson,  Col.  Geo.  A.,  mentioned,  5 
Ferguson,  Col.  Patrick,  sketch,  48-67, 
479  ;  birth  and  early  services,  48-49 ; 
rifle  skill,  50-52  ;  at  Brandywine, 
52-55  ;  Monmouth,  55  ;  Little  Egg 
Harbor,  55-57,  60-61  ;  attacks  Pu- 
laski, 58-60;  Charleston  expedition, 
61;  wounded,  62-63,  486;  Monk's 
Corner  affair,  25,  63-66,  490-91 ; 
noble  conduct,  66-67 ;  captures 
Haddrell's  Point,  67,  493-94;  goes 
to  Ninety  Six,  3,  68-72,  496-99;  traits 
of  character,  73.  75;  goes  to  Fair 
Forest,  76-79,  88;    Thickctty  taken. 


INDEX. 


01 U 


89;    Ccdiir  Springs,   94,   y6;   men- 
tioned, 115,  116,    117,  129,  136,484, 

4S7. 488. 490. 492. 493. 494. 496. 50' ; 

In  pcctor  CtMicral,  142  ;  visits  Cani- 
dt!!,  505 ;  goes  to  North  Carolina, 
i^.],  147,  363,  506;  Cane  Creek 
]l;;ht.  147-48,  lyS-yy,  507,  53S,  55 1  ; 
Mrs.  Lytic,  151-53;  sense  of  justice, 
19";  returns  to  Ciilbert  Town, 
\<j^\  retreat,  I99-200  ;  Collins  and 
Qiiinn's  mission,  202-203,  548",  fiir- 
tlur  retreat,  202  ;  appeal  for  aid,  204  ; 
failure  of  messengers,  202,  363-64, 
54!!;  incident,  204-706;  dispatrli  to 
Cornwallis,  207  ;  on  King's  Moun- 
tain, 209,  216-17;  his  force,  237-38; 
his  wliistles,  246,  254,  'i-jj ,  291  ; 
desperation,  273-75;  attempted  flight, 
274-76,  525.530,539;  his  death,  275- 
77,  280-81,510;  not  killed  outright,  | 
290-91 ;  his  conduct,  287-90  ;  bmial, 
290-91,  321,  322;  ]5ritish  accounts, 
510,  516-19;  his  great  disaster,  376- 
77;  his  mistresses,  292;  souvenirs, 
286,  291,  307-308;  memoirs  of,  211  ; 
variously  mentioned,  520-93. 
Fire  lumting,  described,  .  427-28 
I'isher,  l~rederick,  wounded,  304 

Fletchall,  Col.  Tliomas,  mentioned, 

72,481,  500 
Fletcher,  Lievit.  Duncan,  men- 
tioned, 480-Sl,  500,  507,  519 
Flint  Mill,  mentioned,  .  .  1S9 
194,  216,  219,  224,  2:5 
Floyd,  Andrew,  cited,  .  192,  194 
Fondren,  Mathcw,  mentioned,  323 
Footc's    Xorfh     Carolina,  cited,   247, 

268,  290 
Footc's  Virginia,         .  .  378 

Forney,  Al^ram,  cited,     .  259,  333 

Franklin,  Adj't  Jesse,  noticed,         2S7 

458-59.  554 
Franklin,  Shadrach,  cited,  5,  1S6 

Franklin,  Wylie,  mentioned,       .         5 
Fraser,  Major,  mentioned,      .         106  j 
108,  109,  1 16,  504  i 


Gage  brothers,  Tories,  escape  of,  325 
Gage,  Col.  R.  J.,  cited,  ,  .  270 
Garlington,  Gen.  A.  G.,  cited,  5,  69 
Gates,  Gen.  Horatio,  mentioned,  3 
116,  141,  352,  357,  358,  359,  -72 
374  521-22;  Ms.  papers  cited,  3:9, 
Giljbs,  Maj.  Zachariah,  jnention .d, 

143,  209,  223,  290,  294,  360,  500,  5':^3 
Ciilljcrt  Town,  mentioned,  .  I95 
C.iiljert,  \Vm.,  mentioned,  .  159 
Giles,  \Vm.,  wounded,  .  269,302 
Gilkey,  John,  cited,  .  5,  ly^,  340 
Gilkey,  Dr.  John  II.,  mentioned,  5 
Gilkey,  Walter,  Toiy,  332-33,  340 
Gillam,  R.  C,  cited,  .  214,  259 
Gilleland,  wounded,  .  275  303 
Gillespie,  Captain,  mentioned,  159-61 
Gillespie,  David,  mentioned,  183,  184 
Gillespie,  Hen;,,  mentioned,  iSi 

Gillesiiie,  Tho.nas,  mentioned,        1 1 1 
Gilmer,  Enoch,  mentioned,        225-26 

228-31 
=57.  303 
304 
355-5^' 
4f^3.  513 
Givens,  James,  cited,  .  .  397 
(^oforth,  Preston,  and  brothers,  302,  314 
Goodloe,  Hon,  1).  R.,  mentioned,  5 
Gordon,  Charles,  noticed,        .         2'it 

304.  334 
Gordon,  Rev.  Z.  H,,  cited,  5,  261 

Graham,  Gen.  Joseph,  cited,     .       169 
197,   202,    227,    228,    233,    235,  247 
27,  282,  283.  369,  457,  546-51- 
Graham,  Maj.  J.,  S.  C,  Loyalist,        71 
Graham,  Gen.  Sam.,  cited,      .         2".o 
Graham,  Col.  Wm.,  sketch  of,        476 
at  Cedar  Springs,  89,97,99,  100,  102 
his    fort    attacked,     145-46 ;     men- 
tioned, 149,  193,  232,  280. 
Gray,  James,  noticed,  3>6-i7,  327 

Gray,  J.  L.,  cited,  .  .  217 

316.  317. 319.  z-i<  341 

Green,  Capt.  Wm.,  noticed,  15 


Gilmer,  William,  woimdcd. 
Gist,  N.athaniel,  killed, 
Gist,  Capt.  Wm.,  noticed, 


3J 


353-54.  482-83 


wm 


iff 


f(-  ? 


r 

Illi 

i 

C02 


IXDEX. 


Greene,  Gen.  NaliianicI,  iikmi- 
tioncd.  45,  139.  3^.  393,  395,  413 
437;  discusses  retalintion,  371-74 
opinion  of  mountaineers,  374 
CUiiiford  h.itile,  3<;r-95.  .  413,  437 
Grccr,  Alexander,  noticed,        .         95 

230,  232,  298 
Grccr,  I?cn.,  noticed,  .  441,  442 
Grimes,  Captain,  Tory,         .  340 

Gunn,  a  Tory,        .        .        .         341 
Guin,  James,  Sr.,  mentioned,  445 

Hatkctt,  Dr.  R.  V .,  mentioned,  5 

Hackctt,  W.  T.,  mentioned,  5 

Hanihri;,dU,     Lt.-Col.     Frederick, 
sketch  of,   \'](>-'T]  ;    noticed.    3,    193 
214-15,  232,  233,  234,  244,   257,  273 

278,  303.  549.  550- 
Hamilton,  Maj.Jolin,  Tory,       .       143 

294,  48S 
Hammond,  Dr.  A.  L.,  cited,  5,  272,  277 
Hammond,  Col.  LeRoy,  mentioned,  47 
Hammond,  Col.  Sam'l,  sketcli  of,  467  ; 

statements  tampered  with,  102,  122; 

at  Mus;4rove's  Mills,   104,  119;  Mith 

Col.  Williams,   I91-92,  244,  269;  at 

King's  Mountain,  3,  271-72. 
Hammond's  Store,  fiyht,  .         298 

Hampton,    Col.    Andrew,    sketch   of, 

474-75  ;  noticed,  80,  81,  87,  119,  156 

170,  204,  265. 
Hampton,  Ailam,  James  J.  and 

Jonathan,  Jr.,  cited,  5,  81,   156,  160 

161,  292,354. 
Hampton,  Capt.  Edward,  noticed, 

82,  83,  137,  214,  238 
Hampton  Family,  killed,         .  83 

Hampton,  Jonathan,  Sr.,  noticed, 

'53'5^^i  'f*°>  '^">  '97 
Hampton,  Col.  Henry,  mentioned,  83 

168 
Hampton,  Preston,  mentioned  83 

Hampton,  Ct)l.  Richard,  mentioned,  83 
Hampton,  Col.  Wade,  mentioned,    83 

99 
Handlcy,    Capt.    Samuel,     men- 
tioned, ....         279 


rian;4er.  Col.  George,  cited,  .  ^o 
f'l,  63,  69,  72,  321,  369-70 
Hanging  Rock  buttle,  .  141,503 
Ilar.dson,  Maj.  Herndon,  cititl,  393 
Hardin,  Abraham,  cited,     .         .         5 

233.  273.  313.  322.  324.  344 
Har|)er,  Hon.  J.  C,  cited,  .  5 

179,  185,  261,  334,  340,  473 
Harrington,    Col.    Wm.     Henry, 

mentioned,  ....  23 
Harrison,  r.ill,  a  Tory,  .      447-48 

Harrison,  Gideon,  cited,  .  268,59! 
Howocy,  Captain,  Tory,  .         109 

Hawthorn,  Col.  James,  noticed,     .     3 

244,  464-65 
Hayes,  Col.  Jos.,  noticed.  266,  467-68 
Haync,  Col.  Isaac,  mentioned,  .  47 
Hayne,  James,  cited,  .  .  396 
Ilayne,  I'aid  H.,  mentioned,  4,  593 
Haynesworth,  Bill,  mentioned,  87 

Hayter,  Israel,  cited,  268,  304,  590-9I 
Ilcniphill,    Cajjt.    Thomas,  nu'n- 

tioned,  •         .         .         150,  50S 

I  knderson,  W.  A.,  cited,  .  326 
Henderson,  Col.  Wm.,  mentioned,  28 

502 
Hcnigar,  nenr\-,  killed,  .  .  304 
Henry,  Moses,  mortally  wounded,  302 

319-20 
Heniy,  Patrick,  mentioned,     .         381 

383.  387.  395.  454 
Henry,  Robert,  cited,       .         .         119 

122,  150,  19S,  214,  224,  226,  228,  232 

257-59.  279-So,  284,  292,  303,  365-67 

473- 
Herndon,  Col,  Ben.,  noticed,  119 

444.  449.  45'>.  457 
Herntlon,  Maj.  Josci)h,  noticed,       222 

461-62 
Hewlett,  Capt.  Thos.,  wounded,  502 
Hickman,  Thomas,  cited,  .  392 
Highlower,  Wn\.,  mentioned,  429,  430 
Hildeburn,  Charles  R.,  cited,  5,  164 
Hill,  J.  R.,  mentioned,,  .  .  5 
Hill,  Adj't  Thos.  D.,  Jr.,  m-ii- 
lioned    ....         143,  294 


INDEX. 


G03 


23 
447-48 
'^8.  59' 

109 

,     •     3 
464-65 

467 -6S 

.     47 
396 

4.  593 
87 

.  5909 » 

y\\- 

I130,  50S 
326 

■a,  28 

503 

304 

319-20 

3'.>3'  454 

119 

228, 232 
s,  3(^5-^7 


119 

45''>. 

437 

il, 

■->'»2 

461-62 

il, 

502 

392 

429 

430 

5 

164 

, 

5 

Hill,  Col.  Win.,  cited,  .  .  114 
122,  166,  167,  168,  191,  192,  193,  211 
217-21,  222,  226,  328,  334,  277,  464 
Hinson,  Saul,  anecdote,  .  .  '17 
Hol)hs,  Ati}^tistinc,  Tory,  .  340 
Holland,  Maj.  James,  mentioned,  161 
Holloway,  Charles,  mentioned,  136-38 


Ilolston,  early  exploration, 
Ilolston,  Fntt'llii^fnccr,  cited, 
Holbton,  settlers,  character. 


I'MI- 


143.294 


379 
268 

242-43 

38! -82 

Hopkins,  Francis,  Tory,  3S4-S7 

Ilorse-Shoc  Robinson,  referred  to,  126 

Horton',  a  Tory,  mentioned,    .        216 

Hiick,  Capt.  Christian,  defeat,     .     500 

Hiij^er,  (icn.  Isaac,  mentioned,  40 

41,  47,  63-65,  490 

Hughes,  Capt.  Joseph,  noticed,        122 

'29.  i3'-33.  277,285-86 

Hughes,  Robert  M.,  mentioned,      585 

Hulctt,     [Hewlett,]  Capt.    Thos., 

wounded,      ....         502 

Hunter,  Dr.  C.  L.,  cited,     .         .         5 

76,  122,  223,  225,  233,  258,  260,  268, 

272,  313,  320,  322,336,473. 

Husband,  Col.  Vczey,  mentioned,  276 

294,  482 
Hyce,  Leonard,  wounded,  .  304 
Inman,  Ca))t.  Sliadrack,  killed,       107 

log,  iio,  121 

Inncs,  Lieut. -Col.  Alex.,  mentioned,  71 

80,  106,  io8,  109,  114,  116,  120,  121, 

136.  210,  484,  49S,  504. 

Iseley,  Jacob,  cited,  .         326,  579 

Jackson,  Maj.  James,  mentioned,    341 

473 
Jackson,  Nancy,  adventure,  .  87 
Jackson,  Ca[)t.  Wm.,  mentioned,  460 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  cited,  358,  585 

Johnson,  Lewis,  cited,  .         5,  294 

Johnson,  Lieut.  Samuel,  noticed,     260 
291,  304,  460-61,  462 
Johnson,  Dr.  Uz.al,  noticed,      .         277 

297.  303.  3c^.  307.  351.  354.  481.  487 
491,  496,  499,  506,  512,  51S. 
Johnston,  Captain,  of  Georgia,         214 


Johnston,  Capt.  James,  noticed,        85 

8^>.  257.  577-78 
Johnston,    Gen.  J.  K.,  and  Hon. 

J.  W.,  mentioned,  .  .  257 
Johnston,  Capt.  Levi,  mentioned,  483 
J(.hnston,  Judge  I'eter,  mentioned,  257 

5S6 
Johnston,  Col.  Wm.,  mentioned,  5 
Jones,  Hon.  Ham.  C,  cited,  .  448 
Jones,  Col.  John,  mentioned,         78-81 

S3,  120 
Judd,    John  and  Rowland,   men- 
tioned, ....         249 
Kciley,  Rev.  Dr.  1).  C,  mentioned,   5 

^-,  -* 
--J 

Kennedy,  Hon.  J.  P.,  Jlorsc-Shoe 

Robinson,  cited,  .        .        .         126 

Kennedy,  Gen.  Thomas,  noticed,    148 

149.  27S-79,  473-74.  5^j8,  572,  576 

Kennedy,  Wm.,  noticed,    .         129-33 

Kiiitonand  Itis  Aiivi-ntims,  work 

on,  designed,  .  ,  .  ,  6 
Kentucky,  early  exploration,  429-30 
Kerr,  Capt.  James,  mentioned,        106 

113.  114 
Kerr,  Joseph,  mentioned  .         76 

224-2;,  299 
Kettle  Creek  fight,  referred  to,  29S 
Keys,  James,  cited,  .  .  260 
287,  288,  584,  59T 
Kilgore,  Charles,  wounded,  .  304 
Kincannon,  Lieut.  Andrew,  no- 
ticed  2S6,  409 

Kincannon,  Dr.  A.  X.,  cited,       5,  2S7 
King's  American  Regiment,      .       237 
King's  Mountain  Ballads,    .       591-93 
King's  Mountain,  origin  of  name,  209  ; 
origin  of  expedition,  118,  149;  gath- 
ering of  clans,    i63,   170-76,191-94; 
the  march,  176;  deserters,  177-7S,  199 
335,  537;  crossing  mountains,  178-^11; 
Cleveland  and    Wins'on,    180,    183 
1S4-S6;  the  council,  186-90;  ajiiJcaU 
to  the  men,  195-96;  Ferguson's  re- 
treat,   198-209;    the  Pinn.acle,  206; 
horsemen  selected,  221-22,  537,  54O 


GO-4 


INDEX. 


[f     ifll: 


552,   255  ;  reach  Cowpcns,   223-24  ; 
Whig    force,    214-15,    227;    ]5rilisli 
force,  237-38  ;  traits  of  mountaineers, 
3-4,  242-43;    battle    array,    243-48 
Winston's  detour,  245,  552-53  ;  out- 
posts attacked,  146-40;  Ferguson's 
whistle,  246,  -54,  277,  291  ;  Clove- 
huui's  speecli,  248-45;  ;  Tories,  char- 
acter   of.    238-42,     294;      Allaire' 
cxphiit,  249,  517;  Canipliell's  good 
conduct,     251,     255-57  ;       Shelby's 
heroism,  252  ;  Ferguson's   position 
252;      Josiah    Culbcrtson,    252-53 
Moses  Shelby,  253  ;  Ensign  Camp 
bell,    252-54;    Lacey's    men,    254 
Captain  Edmondson,  255-56;  Reese 
I'owen,    256-57 ;     Robert      Menry 
^57-59;    Twitty   and   Forney,    259 
Cleveland's  men,  260 ;  Lieut.  John 
son,     260;     Charles    Ciorihui,  261 
David    Witherspoon,    261  ;    Cleve 
buiil's  adventure,  261-63;  McDow 
ell's   men,  265,  554;  Sevier's  men 
266;  Cleveland  anecdote, 267;  Camp 
bell's    Bald   Face,    267-68,   388-89 
fear  of  Tarleton,   266-67,    288,   290 
316.  320,  322,  367-68;  Williams'  men 
268  ;  (liles  and  Young,  269  ;  deatl 
of   Williams,    270,   276-77,   284-85 
Hammond's  charge,  271  ;  premoni 
tion,      271-72;      desperate     charge 
272  Shell)y's   battle-cry,  272 ;    Fer- 
guson's  dcriperation,    273-75,    white 
flags    raised,    273,    276,   281  ,    Fer 
guson  attempts  flight,  274-76;  Per 
guson's    fall,    275-77,    280-Si,    510 
Williams  I's.  Ferguson,  276-77;  last 
Whig  charge.  277-78;  liritish  charges 
278-79;  enemy  over-shot,  279,   531 
firing  after    surrender,    281-06;    an 
unhajjpy  Cv'cnt,  2S4-85,  389-90;  the 
surrender,    286-87  ;      unfit     bat'.le- 
grounii,  289-90  ;  Ferguson  not  killed 
outright,  290-91  ;  Ferguson's  burial, 
291-92;  Ferguson's  mistresses,  292  ; 
speculations,  290;  Whig  endurancL-, 


292-93;  strength  of  Loyalists,  293-94; 
siui)rise  of  Jiritish  leaders,  294-95  ; 
error  of  McKenzie,  295-96;  length 
of  battle,  296-97  ;  Ihitish  strength 
and  losses,  297-301  ;  exaggerations. 
301;  Whig  losses,  302-307;  no  Whig 
surgeons,  306  ;  destitution,  307 
somenirs,  307-308;  dving  and  deail, 
308-309  ;  Long  Sam  Abney,  310-12  ; 
Drury  Mathis,  313;  Thos.  Mullen- 
eaux,  313-14;  sharp-shooters,  314 
Goforths  and  others,  314-15  ;  Logan 
Ijrotliers,  315  ;  dying  Tory,  316  ;  Sab- 
bath morning,  316;  wagons  burned, 
horse-litters  made,  316;  Gray  and 
Tory  friend,  316-17  ;  Tories  impress 
Whigs,  310,  317  ;  a  termagant  lib- 
erated, 317  ;  prisoners  p.ick  arms, 
318-19  ;  spoils  of  victory,  319  ;  story 
of  Mrs.  Henry,  319-20;  retiun 
march — binial,  320-22  ;  Campbell's 
order,  320  ;  Williams'  Inuial,  323-24 
camp  at  Fondrin's,  323 ;  footmen 
rejoin  the  army,  323 ;  escape  of 
prisoners,  325 ;  cruelty  to  Tories, 
326;  Campbell's  kindness,  326,  351 
352,  512,  531-32;  anecdote,  326-27 ; 
tard_,  marching,  324,  327  ;  destitution 
of  food,  327-28,  346-47  ;  plundering 
denounced,  329-30,  532  ;  execution 
of  Tories,  330-45,  391,  510-11,  539-40 
544,  545,  551  ;  fear  of  Tarleton,  345- 
46,  516,  518,  544-45;  hard  march, 
345-46;  Mrs.  l\IcUo\vell,  3.1.7-48; 
Major  McDowell,  347-48 ;  care  of 
wounded,  328,  344,  3J;;  further  cs- 
c.ipe  of  prisoners,  3^5  56,  359;  dis- 
position of  pri.ioner'.,  j'o,  352  357-60; 
Lob  Powell,  351;  Lritish  accounts, 
510,  516-19;  Tate's  accotml,  520-21 
Shelby's  accounts,  524-26,  540-46 
559-73;  Wm.  Campbell's  account, 
526;  Ar.  Campbeil's  account,  527-29; 
unknown  account  529-31;  Graham's 
account,  546-51  ;  Lenoir's  account, 
551-54;     Sharp's    account,     554-58 


INDEX. 


605 


official     report,     352;      Campbell's 
orders,  352,  531,  532;  new  troubles, 
352-53;    <'reen    and   Laa-imVs   es- 
c^M'L'.    353-54;      singular    incident, 
360-63 ;     <;()od    words    for    victors, 
374-76,    527,     532-33;     disaster    to 
British,  376-77  ;  presage  of  indepen- 
dence, 377;  last  of  Campbell's  men. 
405;  last  survivor,  259;  famous  vic- 
tory, 3  ;   monument,  4;    celcljration, 
iS'S-  4.  322;    celeljration,    1855,  4. 
256,  263  ;  celebration,  iSSo,  4. 
King,  Col.  Richard,  mentioned,       143 
King,  William,  cited,       .         287,  5S0 
Kirkland,  Col.  Moses,  mentioned,  143 

294,  515 
Knox.  D;'vid,  mentioned,     .       .      (yj 
Knoxvilletrcaty,  of  1791,         .        4,5 
Kusack,  Adam,  mentioned,       .      373 
Kusick,  of    Sevier's   men,    men- 
tioned,        ....  275 
Lacey,  Col.  Wm.,  sketch  of,       463-64 
mentioned,    3,     i66,    168,     192,   193 
207,214-15,  219.22,    243-44,   249-50 
254.  278,  279,  349,  500,  520,  537,  538 
Ln  Fayette,  den.,  services,          395-98 
Lafferty,  Lieutenant,  Tory,      .         340 
Laird,  James,  mortally  wounded,    304 
Lane,  Lieut.  Isaac,  mentioned,       424 
Lang,  Juhn,  cited,         .          .           -^^G 
Lang'um,  Thomas,  cscajies,        353-54 
Lankford.  Thomas,  mentioned,      215 
Lasefield,  Jo.,  a  Tory,       .         .       45^ 
Lee,  Col.  Henry,  cited,         .           252 
287,  296,  360,  374.  393,  394,  395^  533 
Lee,  Major,  Tory,  mentioned,          154 

'55.  294,  483 
Lee,  Gen.  R.  E.,  cited,  .  360 

Lcdbetter,  Capt.  (k'orge,  359,  475-76 
Lcgare,  Mrs.  Thos.,  mentioned,  39-40 
Lenoir,  Gen.  Wm.,  sketch  of,         459 

noticed,  149,  211,  221,  228,234,261 

265,   266,  397,    304,    3,9,  324,  33^^ 

389- 
Lenoir,  Capt.  Wm.  W.,  noticed,         5 

334.  340,  433.  442,  44S,  450.  5SI-S4. 


Lewis,  Gen.  Andrew,  mentioned,  3S0 

382 
Lewis.  Lieut.  James  .^L,  noticed,     261 

304.  457-58,  583 
Lewis,  Capt.  Joel,  noticed,  .  247 
260,  261.  304,457-58,  461,58s 
Lewis,  Maj.  Micajah,  noticed,  247 
261,  304,  388,389.456-58,  5S8 
Lewis,  Col.  Waker,  cited,  .  402 
Lillington,  Gen.  Alexander,  men- 

.''""'-^^l'         •  .  .  41.  476 

Lincoln,  Gen.  Ren.,  mentioned,  21-41 
Lindsay,  James,  mentioned,  .  312 
I.inville,  Wm.,  mentioned,  .  183-84 
Linvilie  River,  origin  of  name  183 
Little  Egg  Harbor  Expedition,  55-61 
Logan,  the  Mingo  Chief,  .  351 
Logan,  Dr.  John  H.,  cited,         .  5 

102,  122,  126,  128,  214,  277,  292,  313 
314.  322,  591. 
Logan,  Col.  J.  R.,  cited.      .         .         5 
194.  202,  203,  233,  234,  267,  290,  292 

313.315.322,323.324.343.354. 
Logan,  Joseph,  John  and  Thos.      315 

Logan,  Wm.,  noticed,      233,  290,  315 

Long,  Col.  A.  B  .  cited,     149,  199,  265 

Long,  Jolin,  cited,  .  2>'2,  578 


59' 

39 

293 

3S8 

473 


Long,  Robert,  mentioned, 
Lossing's  Field  Book,  cited      . 

61,  102,  122,  157,  289,  352,  375 

473- 
Love,  Col.  Robert,  cited. 
Love,  Gen.  Tiiomas,  cited,  352 
Lowry.  W.  G.  G.,  cited,  .  5,  305 
Lyles,  Col.  James,  mentioned,  75,  504 
Lyon,  Plumberson,  killed,  .  304 
Lytle,  Ca[)t.  Thomas,  mentioned,    150 

'5'.  '53 
Lytle,  Mrs.  Thomas,  story  of,      151-53 

Mahoney,  Michael,  killed,       .         303 

Marion,  Gen.  Francis,  mentioned, 

4'.  45.  47,  143.  189 

Martm,  D.miel  I).,  citeii,        .         343 

Martin,  Col.  John,  noticed,         215-16 

Martin,  Gen.  Joseph,  mentioned,    170 

390.  4'5.  -^21,428 


['    .1 


It^v   -t^ 


GOG 


INDEX. 


Martin,  Capt.  Sumucl,  noticed,  86 

257,  303.  478 
Martin,  Col.  Wm,,  cited,  .  5 

189.  389.  390 
Matliis,  Driiry,  mentioned,  .  313 
Mattocks,  Capt.  John,  killed,  031 

257,  322,  479 
Maxwell,  Col.  George,  noticed,  418 
Ma.wvcll,  Thomas,  mentioned,        268 

288,  334.  589-90 

Mayson,  Col.  Jas.,  mentioned,  47,  515 

McBee,  Silas,  cited,  .  .  4 

88,  224,  228,  229,  230,  275,  279,  307 

320,  323,  324,  332,  333,  340. 

McCafferty,  Wm.,  mentioned,    368-69 

McCall,  Maj.  James,  mentioned,      85 

104,  119,  162-64 

McCall,  Wm.  A.,  cited,       .         .         5 

178,  179,  180,  183,  184,  210,  234 

McCulloch,  John,  cited,  .  570 

582,  5S3,  584 
McCulloch,  Lieut.  Thomas,  noticed, 

304,  406 
McDowell,  Col.  Chas.  mentioned, 
76,  78,  80-84,  86-88,  89-102,  103-22 
136,  141-42,  143,  144,  168,   170,   172 
173,  147-48,  150.  «53.  180,  183,   1S4 
186-89,  194,  204,  413,  471,  473,  508 
511,  520-65. 
McDowell,  Mrs.  Ellen,  mentioned,  306 
McDowell,  Harvey  H.,  Sr.,  cited,  473 
McDowell,  Col.  H.  H.,  mentioned,    5 
McDowell,  Hunting  John,  men- 
tioned,       .         .         150,    471,    473 
McDowell,  Gen.  Joseph,  shetch  of, 
471-73  ;  of  Quaker  Meadows,  3,  80 
92,  104,  119,  148,  150,  169,  184,   185 
1S9,  195-96,    198,   203,   211,  214-15, 
224,  226,  228,  232,  265,  — S,  333,  334, 
346.  347-48,  349.  47 '-7     346,  520-65. 
McDowell,  Capt.  Joseph,  of  Pleas- 
ant Garden,      .         .        307,  472-73 
McDowell,  Hon.  Joseph  J.,  cited, 

5.473 
McDowell,    Margaret    men- 
tioned,      .        .        347-48,  472-473 


McDowell,  Miss  N.  M.,  cited,     .        5 

161,  307 

McDowell,  Col.  Silas,  cited,        .        5 

151,  153,  156,  160 

McElhancy,  Wm.,  mentioned,         137 

McFadden,  Alexander,  cited,    .         88 

loo,  102 
McFall,  Arthur,  mentioned,    .         183 

210,  334 
McFall,  John,  mentioned,   333-34,  340 
McGinnis,  Lieut.  John,  mentioned,  255 
300,  481,  510,  518 
Mcintosh,    Gen.    Lachlan,  men- 
tioned, 25,  26,  27,  29,  30,  32,  40,  402 
412. 
McJunkin,  Mrs.  Jane,  adventure,      87 
Mcjunkin,  Maj.  Joseph,  mentioned,  74 
75,  104,  119,  122,  129,  131,  143 
McLean,  Mrs.  Clara  Dargan,  men- 
tioned        4 

McLean,  Dr.  Wm.;  nientloncd,       322 
Means,  Gen.  J.  K.,  cited, 
Mecklenburg  and  its  Actors,  work 

on,  designed,  .... 
Meredith,  Capt.  Wm.,  noticed. 
Miles,  Maj.  Charles,  mentioned. 
Military  operations  exaggerated. 
Miller,  Andrew,  captured,  204,  206 
Miller,  J.unes,  mentioned,  .  154 
Miller,  Capt.  James,  noticed,  475-76 
Miller,  Hon.  J.  W.  T.,  cited,  .  5 
146,  203,  292,  313 
Miller,  Robert,  wounded,  .  302 
Mills,  Col.  Ambrose,  sketch  of,  481-82 
noticed,  80,  142,  293,  332,  335,  340 
345.373.  5".  5'6,  518. 
Mills,  Maj.  William,  noticed,  .  482 
Mills,  Col.  Wm.  Henry,  noticed,  373 
Mobley's  settlement,  mentioned,      43 

504 
Moffett,  Capt.  George,  mentioned,  454 

472 
Moffett,  Col.  John,  noticed,  .  465 
Monk'sCorncr,  affair,  25,  63-66,490-91 
Moore,  George  H.,  LL.D.,  cited  5,  21 1 
Moore,  Col.  James,  mentioned,       433 


128 

460 
166 
301 


I  t 


INDEX. 


607 


.        4 

322 

128 

rk 

460 
166 

1,    301 
D4,  206 

154 

475-76 

5 

}2.  313 

302 
481-82 

5.  340 

.    482 

.     373 

'.      43 

504 

:d,  454 

472 

465 

490-91 

5,  21 1 

433 


Moore,  Col.  John,  loyalist,  .  77 
78,  182,  290,  293-94,  298-99.  360 
474. 
Moore,  Dr.  M.  A.,  cited.  .  .  5 
128,  213,  219,  249-50,  255.  268.  308 
313- 
Moore,  Capt.  Patrick,  loyaliFt,     85-87, 

210,  298,  502 
Moore,  Capt.  Sam.,  mentioned.  m 
Moore,     Samuel,     of    York 

<^"0'.  S.  C 273 

Moore,  Wm.,  noticed.     .        .        268 

284,  304-305,  590  I 

Morgan,  Gen.  Daniel,  mentioned,   185  ' 

1S9,  2S6,  395,  521,  536,  542,  546  I 

Morganton,  N.  C,  named,       .         185  ! 

Mullincaiix,   Thomas,    nien- 

''0"«> 313-14 

Murphy,  Patrick,  wounded,     .         303 
Musgrove,  Beaks,  noticed,  124-25 

Musgrove,  Maj.  Edward,  noticed,   123 

125-26 
Musgrove.  Mary  and  Susan,  r\o- 

t'ced ,3^.26 

Musgrove's  Mill,  affair.       .         104-22 

504-5 
Musick,  Lewis,  mentioned,  204,  206 
Myddelton,  Col.C.  S..  mentioned,'  168 
"Narrator,"  cited,      .         .         558.5c) 

^,     ,   ^  573.  574.  575.  583 

Ncal,  Capt.  Wm..  mentioned,         222 

ivr  .  .  '^°5.  555.  557 

Negroes  join  the  British,  .        42 

Negroes  seized  and  sold.  .        43 

Negroes  at  King's  Mountain,  267 

Nelson,  Anson,  mentioned,        .        5 

Nelson,  Gen.  Thomas,  mentioned,  386 

Newell.  Col.  Samuel,  noticed.  248 

250,251,268,278,304,349,387.408 
409,  587.  588-89. 

Newland.  Dr.  J.  C,  cited,  5,  179 

New  Jersey  Volunteers,  men-  I 

tioncd.  .         .         .         237,481   ! 

New  York  Volunteers,     .        .        479  I 

484.  487,  493.  500.  504  I 
Neville,  Jesse,  cited.  .        .        g,  | 


Nichols,  Capt.  Bill,  Tory  .  446 
Ninety  Six.  Fort,  mentioned,  213 

Ninham,  Stockbridge  Chief.  1 58,  1 59 
Norris.  Jacob,  ciied.  .  268.'  591 
North  Carolina,  in  Revolution,        338 

371,  374 
Gates,  Capt.  Ed.vard.  loyalist,  340 
Old  Fields,  noticed.  . 
Old  Fort,  mentioned. 
Old  Iron  Works.  Wofford's, 
I'aine.  Thomas,  cited,  . 
Parsons,  Mrs.  Lewis  E..  cited. 
Patterson.  Arthur,  Sr..  killed.' 


437-43 
'51 

85.  90 
294 

5.348 
;o2 


312-1 


Patterson,  Arthur.  Jr.,  mentioned.   3:2 

343 
iattcrson,    Thomas    and    Wm., 

mentioned.    .         .         .         -^^2,  -43 
Patterson.  Arthur,  cited.     ,  .     290 

Patterson.  E.  A.,  cited,  .  .  343 
Patton,  Capt.  Matthew,  cited,  1S2 

Patton,  Robert,  mentioned,  .  150 
Pearce,  James,  cited,  .  268,  591 
Pearis,  Capt.  Richard,  mentioned,  72 
Pearson,  Mrs.  R.  M..  cited.  5,  307 

Pemberton,    Capt.    John,    men-' 

tioned,  .        418,  570,  579,  5S0 

Percy,  Rev.  Dr.,  mentioned.       39,  40 
Perdita.  mentioned,  .         .         -j 

Perry,  Ex-Gov.  B.  F..  cited,         .       '  5 
83,  102,  139,  452 
Peters,  John,  cited,  .         570,  580 

Phillips.  James,  killed,     .        .         304 
Phillips.  Lieut.-Col.  John,  loyalist.  143 

294 
Phillips,  Samuel,  mentioned.  169 

Phillips,  Joseph,  cited,     .         .         268 

320,  587,  591 
1  ickens,  Gen.  Andrew,  mentioned,  43 
47.72,  162.  163,  164,  298,  452,  473 
Pickens  and  the  Datlh-  of  Coiu- 

pens,  work  on,  designed,         .        6 

Pilot  Mountain,  mentioned,     .         198 

Plummer,  Maj.  Daniel,  loyalist.      143 

154.  r55,  276,  294,483,  500 

Polk,  Col.  Wm.,  mentioned,  479 


GO  8 


INDEX. 


Ponder,  Jolin,  mentioned,  .  233 
Pool,  J.  T.,  mentioned,  .  .  5 
Porter,  Maj.  James,  noticed,  302,  475 
Porter,  Robert,  mentioned,  .  475 
Porter,  Wm.,  mentioned,  354,  475 

Portcrfield,    Lieiit.-Col.    Charles, 

mentioned,     ....         41 
Postell,  Maj.  John,  mentioned,  47 

Potts,  Capt.  John,  killed,  97,  503 

Powell,  Bob,  Tory  desperado,  351 

Powell,  Elias,  noticed,  .  291,308 
Preston,  Gen.  Francis,  cited,  583,  585 
Pieston,  Gen.  John  S.,  cited,  .  4 
5,  256,  263,  326,  328,  330  352,  398 
Preston,  Col.  Thos.  L.,  cited,  5,  398 
Preston,  Hon.  Wm.  C,  cited,      .         5 

^75.    393.    395.     398.    559.     5(^-73 
582-83. 

Preston,  Col.  Wm.  mentioned,        735 

358,  381,  392,  412,  575 

I'rice,  Capt.  Thomas,  mentioned,    124 

Prince's  Fort,  mentioned,     .         80-83 

120,  501 
Prince  of  Wales,  American   Vol- 
unteers,        .         .         .         496,  497 
Prisoners,  King's  Mountain,   .        350 

352,  357-60 

Purvis,  Maj.  John,  mentioned,  47 

Quakers  generally  Tories,       .         239 

Quaker  Meadows,    180,  183-84,  347-4S 

Queen's  Rangers,     .     156-58,  164,237 

Quinn,  Peter,  mentioned,        .        202 

224,  363-64,  548 

Rabb,  Wm.,  killed,  .        302,  322 

Ramsey,  Dr.  J.  G.  M.,  cited,       .        5 

88,  89,  102,   120,   122,  144,  170,  174 

176,  177,  178,  179,  189,  I  n,  204,  223 

227,  255,  256,  273,  275,  277,  286,  289 

3«6,  319.  332.  334.  340.  352.  473- 
R.imsour's  Mill  fight,        298,  435,  499 
Rawdon,  Lord,  mentioned,     .         141 

295.  299.  346.  373.  376 
Read,  Nathan,  a  Tory,  .  .  388 
Rector,  Jfrs.  Sallie,  mentioned,  5 

Redd,  Maj.  John,  cited,  .  .  427 
Reap,  Adam,  mentioned,        .         146 


Reeves  and  Goss,  Tories,  .  444 
Reinhardt,  W.  M.,  cited,  .  5,  .'47 
Retaliation  threatened   by  Corn- 

wallis 37 '-74 

Revolutionary  War,  causes,  .  17 
Revolutionary  War,  progress,  17-20 
Revolutionary,  War,    sanguinary 

character,  123,  138-39,  140-41,  200 
Reynolds,  Lieut.  Elisha,  noticed,  462 
Reynolds,  James,  F-.,  mentioned  5 
Rice,  Edward,  mentioned.  .  429 
Riddle,  Col.  James,  a  Tory,  men- 
tioned, ....  437 
Riddle,  Capt.  Wm.,  a  Tory,  no- 
ticed, .  .  437-44.  446,  461 
Roach,  Mrs.  Edward,  cited,  5,  131 
Roberts,  Colonel,  Tory,  .  433 
Roberts,  John  H.,  cited,  .  298 
Roberts,  Mrs.  Margaret,  cited,  323 
Robertson,  ^Llj.  Charles,  noticed,  84 
.  87,  97,  118,  119,  421,  503 
Robertson,  Thomas,  adventure,  265 
Robertson,  Wm.,  wounded,     .         265 

266,  302,  554 
Robinson,  J.  DeLancey,  cited,  5,  299 
Robinson,  Maj.  Joseph,  loyalist,  72 
Robinson,  Lieut.  Wm.  noticed,  424 
Rockwell,  Rev.  E.  F.,  cited,       .        5 

139.315 
Rocky  Mount  attacked,  141,502 

Roebuck,  Col.  Benj.,  noticed,  193 

269,  470 
Ross,  Captain,  rescued,  437,443 

Ross,  Dr.  George,  mentioned,  117,  503 
Rusk,  Gen.  Thos.  J.,  mentioned,  453 
Russell,  Lieut.  George,  mentioned,  424 
Russell,  Gen.  Wm.  Sr.,  mentioned,  398 
Russell,  Col.  Wm.  Jr.,  noticed,        287 

40O-7,  587-88 
Rutherford,  Gen.  Griffith,  men- 
tioned, .  .  .  216,  433-34 
Rutherford,  Henry,  cited,  .  473 
Rutherford,  Maj.  James,  men- 
tioned, ....  503 
Rutledge,  Gen.  George,  cited,  283 

287,  418,  584 


K 


INDEX. 


609 


444 

5.  !47 

in- 

371-74 

17 

17-20 

arv 


s.  299 


424 


139.  315 

141.  502 

'93 

269,  470 

437.443 
117.  503 
'1.     453 
icd,  424. 
iicd,  398 
,        287 
■,  587-88 
len- 
|6,  433-34 
473 
iTien- 

5C3 

2S3 

418,  584 


Rutlcdj^c,  Gov.  John,  mentioned,     21 
14,  30,41,   114,   122,    165    166,    168 

336.  338. 
Rycrson,  Capt.  Sam,,  sketch  of,  479-80 
mentioned,    280,    281,    286-87,    297 
300.    321,    360,   492,    507,    509,    510 

517.  5'9- 
Saunders,   Tory,  of  Cowpens,    223-24 

Savannah,  Americans  repulsed,  19,  21 

Sawyers,  Col.  John,  noticed,  286 

418,  569,  576-77 

Sage,  Rev.  James  H.,  cited,        .        5 

75.  76,  77.  82,  87,88,95,96,  loi,  102 

115,  122,  239-42,  270,  293,  360-63. 

Scotch  Tories  of  Cross  Creek,    432-33 

Scott,  Lieut.-Col.  Wm.,  noticed,  34,494 

Sevier,  Col.  G.  W.,  cited,   .        .        5 

267,  275,  282,  335 

Sevier,  Maj.  James,  cited,  .        4 

122,  159,  162,  174,211,221,276,279 

303.  335.  414- 

Sevier,  Col.  John,  sketch  of,  418-22  ; 

noticed,  84,  144, 170,413-14,  520-92  ; 

King's  Mountain,  3,    170-76,  214-15 

243-44,  266,  279,  280,  282,  286,  335  ; 

421,  520-92;  letters  to  Shelby,   568 

575-76;  Cherokee  expeditions     390 

241-22  ;  Lecture  on,  cited,  326. 

Sevier,  Joseph,  mentioned,      .        282 

Sevier,  Capt.  Robert,  noticed,  170 

266,  182,  303,  423 

Sevier,  Col.  Val.,  noticed,       104,423 

Shannon,  Capt.  Rob't,  mentioned,  306 

Sharp,  Maj.  Ben.,  cited,      .         .        4 

229,  232,   246,  248,  262,  274,    278 

282,  308,  322,   323,   324,    334,   343, 

345,    347,    473 ;  'King's   Mountain 

statements,  554-58,  587. 

Sharp,  John,  cited,         .         .  579 

Sharp,  Wm.  noticed,  129-31,  133,  269 

Shelby,  Gen.  Evan,  Sr.,    188,  411,  419 

Shelby,  Maj.  Evan,  Jr.,  noticed,     281 

286,  416-17,  566.  569,  570,  577,  579, 

580,581,  590. 

Shelby,  Col.  Isaac,  sketch  of,  411-16  ; 

Thicketty  Fort,  84,  87-89,  413;  Cedar 

Ml 


Spring,  89-102,  120,  238,  413,  503 
506;  Musgrove's  Mill,  103-122,  413 
504-506;  mentioned,  118,  141,  142 
143.  144.  149.  511;  King's 
Mountain,  3,  168,  170  96,  204.  214-15 
243-48,  252,  253,  272.  275,  277-78 
280-83,286,291,304,  307-8,  330-45 
352,  413,  520-92  ;  King's  Mountain 
statements,  524-28,  540-46,  559-73; 
cited,  88,  98,  99,  102,  114,  120,  121 
122,  169,  178,  18S,  1S9,  194,  210,  21- 
215,  223,  227,  228,  235,  251,  252,  274 
280,  281,  282,  316,  317.  318,  319,  327 
339,  342,  344,  346,  347,  414,  473. 
Shelby,  Capt.  Moses  noticed,         171; 

253.  304.  417-  569.  577.  578,  580,  583 

589. 
Shelby,  Maj.  Thomas  H.,  cited,  5 
122,  253,  275,  291 
Sheppard,  Col.  Wm.,  noticed,  446 
Shipp,  Thomas,  cited,  .  .  215 
Sigman,  Capt.  John,  mentioned,  474 
Simcoe,  Col,  J.  G.,  cited,  157,  158 

Simms,  Wm.  Gilmore,  cited,  •  26 
34,  37.62,  102,  131,  277,  593 
Singleton,  Col.  Rich'd,  noticed,  81,  475 
Siske,  Daniel,  killed, 
Skeggs,  John,  wounded. 
Smart,  John,  Sr.,  killed,  . 
Smart,  John,  Jr.,  noticed. 
Smith,  Maj.  Burwcll,  killed. 

Smith,  D.  M.,  cited. 
Smith,  Edward,  mentioned, 
Smith*  Linnaeus,  cited,    . 
Smith,  Capt.  Minor,  noticed, 

304,  460,  588 

Smith,  Capt.  Wm.,  noticed,       .         87 

99,  100,  loi,  102 

Smith,  Wm.,  of  Tenn.,  cited,  88 

93,  100,  102,  108 

Smythe,  Gen.,  Alex.,  cited,     299,  342 

Snodgrass,  Maj.  James,  cited,     .        4 

268,  287,  584,  588 

Snodgrass,  Wm.,  cited,  .        .        318, 

320,  322,  324,  588 


261,  304 

304 

.   302 

302 

.  96 

97  503. 

198 

31S,  588 

•    358 

.  261 

B 


I!      |!*;« 


^^'    M 


r! 


610 


INDEX. 


South C:iioliii;i,  Revolutionary  events, 
Attack  on  Charleston  in  1776,  20  ; 
troops  at  Savannah,  21  ;  Provost's 
invasion,    1779,   491  ;    British  inva- 
sion, 1780,  20,  47,  484-86;  Buford's 
defeat,  41,  45,  46,  139,  282,  496-97  ; 
Ramsour's  affair,  298 ;  Huck's  de- 
feat, 500 ;  Cedar  Spring,  fr.st  attack, 
73-75.    79-    80,    83,    99,    loi,     120; 
Earle's  Ford,  80-83,  120,  501 ;  Cedar 
Spring,   second   affair,  89-102,    120 
238.  503;  Rocky  Mount,   141,  502; 
Thicketty  Fort,  84, 86-8g,  502;  Hang- 
ing Rock,   141,   503;  Carey's  Fort, 
141  ;  Gate's  defeat,  141,  504;  Mus- 
grove's    Mill,    103-122,    504,    505; 
Sumter's  surprise,  116,  141,  504,  505; 
King's    Mountain,     168-352,    510; 
Cornwallis'     retreat,    363-71  ;    Fish 
Dam  Ford,  464;  Blackstock's,  74, 
102,  468,    515;  Hammond's   Store, 
298;    Cowpens,   285-86,    529,    547; 
Sumter's   Rounds,    465 ;    Dunlap's 
defeat,  162-64 ;  Biggin  and  Quinby, 
464 ;  Eutaw,  402  ;  Fairlawn  captured, 
413-14;  Incident,  416-17. 
Sparks,  Jared,  cited,       .        .        .  141 
Spelts,  John,  cited,      ...        4 
184,  189,  190,  196,  211,  221,  227,  284 
291,  307,  308,  320,  328,  340,  342,  351 
388.  473- 
Spencer,  Samuel,  mentioned,     .     338 
Starritt,  Benjamin,  cited,        .        267 
276,  325,  328,  334,  335,  342,  393 
Stedman,  mentioned,     .       .     137,215 
Steele,  Wni.,  killed,        .        .        303 
Steen,  Col.  James,  noticed,  .       .     104 
110,  119,  469-70 
Stevenson,  Lieut.  Wm.  Loyalist,     200 
355-56,480,  513,  519 
Stinson,  Capt.  James,  mentioned,  424 
Stringer,  Reuben,  mentioned,     430-32 
Sullivan,  Gen.  John,  mentioned,       20 
Sumter,  Henry,  mentioned,     .         185 
Sumter,  Gen.  Thomas,  mentioned,  41 
43.   45.   47;    Huck's    defeat,    500; 


joined  by  Clarke,  85  ;  detaches 
Clarke,  87;  Rocky  Mount,  141,  502 
504;  Hanging  Rock,  141,  503;  re- 
appears at  Rocky  Mount,  504  ;  sur- 
prised, 3,  116,  141,  439,  504,  505; 
mentioned,  136,  137,  143,  189,  254; 
Williams'  scheme,  165-68,  192,  221  ; 
Blackstock's — Mrs.  Dillard,  74,  102 
468,  515;  the  Rounds,  465. 
Sumter  and  his   Men,  work  on, 

designed,  ....         6 

Swain,  Hon.  D.  L.,  cited,         .         198 
Tarleton,  CoL  Banastre,  mentioned,  41 
45,  46,  64,  139,  282,  487,  494,  496-97 
505,  516,  518,  544-45  ;  a   sensualist, 
67.  71.  330;  attemi)ted  relief  of  Fer- 
guson,   363-64,     367-68 ;     hangs    a 
Whig,  373  ;  cited.  34,  38,    39,  63,  65 
67,69,   139  141,  208,  213,   237,  281 
291,  296,  299,  320,  321,  365,  369,  393 
Tate,  Maj.  George,  noticed,     .        214 
215,  296,  465,  520,  521 
Tate,  Col.  S.  McDowell,  cited,     .        5 

149,  179 
Taylor,  Capt.  Christopher,  noticed,  178 
284,  423-24,  572,  581 
Taylor,  Lieut.  John,  noticed,  .  76 
276,  300,355-56,480,  510,  513,  519 
Taylor,  Col.  Thomas,  mentioned,  168 
Tectimseh,  the  Shawance  Leader, 

work  on,  designed,  .         .         6 

Thicketty  Fort,  taken,  84, 86-89,  99,  502 
Thomas,  Mrs.  Jane,  heroism,  73,  74 
Thomas,  Col.  John,  Sr.,  mentioned,  47 
73,  127,  128,  136 
Thomas,  Col.  John,  Jr.,  mentioned, 

73-75.  79.  80,  83,  99,  loi,  143,  168 
Thomson,  Peter  G.,  mentioned,  .  J 
Thompson,  Absolom,  cited,  .  164 
Thompson,  Capt.  James,  cited,  83,  473 
Thompson,  Capt.  John,  mentioned,  468 
Thompson,  Richard,  cited,  .  115 
Tinsley,  Golding,  noticed,  no,  in 
Tipton,  Maj.  Jonathan,  noticed,  423 
Toms,  Mrs.  Jane,  cited,  .  .  206 
Toney,  Berry,  mentioned,     .        .  441 


I 

I' 


T 


INDEX. 


611 


6 
198 

96-97 
Kilist, 
f  Fer- 
igs  a 
63.65 

U  281 

9.  393 
214 

10,  521 

5 

\9'  179 
d.178 

2,  581 

76 

3.  519 
168 

6 

,9,  502 
73.74 
ed,  47 
8.136 

:cl. 

3.168 

.     S 
164 

3.473 
d,  468 

"5 

o,  HI 

423 
206 

.  441 


Tories,  adventures  with,  Johnston's, 
85,  86 ;  Jane  Mcjuntcin's,  86,  87 ; 
Nancy  Jaclvson's,  87  ;  Paddy  Carr's, 
124-25;  Clowncy's,  126-28;  Ken- 
nedy's, 129-32;  Hughes',  132-33; 
Sharp's,  133;  Woods',  133-34;  Cul- 
bcrtson's,  136-38;  Graham  and 
Twitty's,  145-46;  Recp's,  146;  Gil- 
mer's, 225-26,  228-31 ;  Carr,  the  Tory 
killer,  341;  singular  incident,  360-63; 
classified,  338-42  ;  Paine's  view,  294; 
some  neutrals,  365-67 ;  hung  at 
King's  Mountain,  330-45,  391  ;  rc- 
tahation  threatened  371-74;  ill  us- 
age of,  by  British,  370-71  ;  sanguin- 
ary warfare,  123,  138-39,  140-41,200 
Tory  or  Loyalist  leaders — see  Bald- 
win, Bates,  Bibby,  Biggcrstaff,  Boyd, 
Branson,  Brown,  Browne,  Chit- 
wood,  Clary,  Coyle,  or  Cowles, 
Robert  and  William  Cunningham, 
Fanning,  Fletchall,  Fraser,  Gibbs, 
Gilkey,  Gist,  Grimes,  Gunn,  Hamil- 
ton, Harrison,  Hawsey,  Hill,  Hobbs, 
Hopkins,  Horton,  Innes,  Lasefield, 
Lee,  McFall,  Mills,  Moore,  Nichols, 
Gates,  Pearis,  Plummer,  Riddle, 
Roberts,  Townscnd,  Waters,  Wells, 
Wilson,  and  Wright. 
Townsend,  Captain,  a  Tory,  483,  514 
Trigg,  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  mentioned,  5 
Tuckasegie  Ford,  mentioned,  192 

Turner,  Lieut.-Col.  W.  T.,  men- 
tioned, .        .        .         143,  294 
Turmbull,   Col.   George,   men- 
tioned,     141,373,484,502,503,504 
Twiggs,  Col.  John,  mentioned,        341 
Twitchell,  A.  H.,  cited,    5,  95,  97,  102 
Twitty,  Anthony,  incident,        204-206 
Twitty's  Ford,  mentioned,  .  203 
Twitty,  Sam,  cited,          .          .         203 
Twitty,  Susan,  heroism,      .         14546 
Twitty,  Dr.  T,  B.,  cited,          .  5 
146,  149,  161,  203,  206,  222 
Twitty,  William,  noticed,     145-46,  259 
Twitty,  Wm.  L.,  cited,        .        .        5 


146,  149,  161,  194,  198,  199,  203,  206 
259,  265,  266,  302,  314,  317,  333,  340 

345.  354. 
Vance,  Capt.   David,  sketch   of,   474 
cited,   104,    119,    150,    198,  203,  211 
214,  224,  226,  228,  232,  252,  473. 
Vance,  Maj.  I.  K.,  cited,  ,         69 

Vance,  Thomas  D.,  cited,  .  5,  179 
Verncr,  Major,  killed,  65-66,  490-91 
Walker,  Feli':,  mentioned,  .  326 
Walker,  Col.  John,  noticed,       325-26 

507 
Walker,  N.  F.,  cited,  5,  93,  100,  102 
Walker,  Samuel  R.,  cited,  .  326 
Walker,  Dr.  Thomas,  mentioned,  379 

380 
Walker,  Wm.  cited,  .  .  149 
Wallace,  A.  D.  K.,  cited,  5,  149,  203 
Wallace,  Hon.  Daniel,  cited,  131 
132,  133,  269,  286 
Walters,  Abagail,  mentioned,  444 
Walters,  a  Whig  youth,  .  440 
Warficld,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  W.,  men- 
tioned       5 

Washington,  Gen.  George,  men- 
tioned, .  22,  27,  51-55,  374,  527 
Washington,  James  H.  R.,  cited,  271 
Washington,  Mrs.  J.  H.  R.,  cited,  271 
Washington,  Col.  Wm.,  men- 
tioned, .  41,  63,  286,  298,  490 
Watauga  Fort  attacked,  .         420 

Waters,  Capt.  a  Tory,  .  .  298 
Waters,  Margaret  Musgrove, 

cited 126 

Waters,  Capt.  P  M.,  cited,  .  126 
Watkins,  John  F.,  mentioned,  5 
Watson,  Maj.  Patrick,  noticed,  476 
Watson,  Wm.,  cited,  .  ,  198 
Watson,  Wm.,  killed,  .  .  302 
Watts,  Col.  James  W.,  cited,  ,  69 
Wayne,  Gen.  Anthony,  men- 
tioned  396 

Webb,  Maj.  T.  S,  cited,  .  .179 
Webster,  Col.  James,  mentioned,  66 
Weir,  Capt.  John,  noticed,  .  306 
Weir,  Col.  Samuel,  noticed,     .       424 


612 


INDEX. 


Wells,  A.  J.,  cited,  ,        94,134 

Wells,  Zach,  mentioned,         .         439 
4+0,  443,445-46. 
Wcmyss,  Col.  James,  mentioned,    373 
Western  Monthly  Magazine,  cited,  .SS 

Wetzel,  Lewis,  mentioned,        .         50 

Wheeler,  Col.  J.  H.,  cited,   ._.         .5 

76,  102,  188,  203,  204,  228,  265,  266 

268,  275,436,  359,473.  55'- 

Whclchel,  Dr.  John,  cited,      .         182 

192,  277,  290 
White,  Col.  A.  W.,  mentioned,  .  41 
White,  Ben,  mentioned,  .  268,  590 
White,  Hon.  Hugh  L.,  mentioned,      5 

422 
White,   Capt.    Isaac,   and    Lieut. 

James,  noticed,  478 

White,  Capt.  Joseph,  mentioned,     149 

199,  257,  474 
White,  Sprague,  mentioned,  .  5 
White,  Wm.,  cited,  .  290,  349 

Whitford,  alias  Rousselet,  Capt. 

J.  R.  cited,  ...  77,  393 
Whitson,  J.  C,  cited,  .  .  5,  184 
Whitson,  Mrs.  R.  C,  mentioned,  5 
Whitzell's  Mills,  affair,  .  391-93 
Wiley,  C.  H.,  cited,  .         .         179 

Wilfong,[Maj.  Geo.,  mentioned,  436-37 
Wilkinson's  Memoirs,  cited,       .      314 
Williams,  Fort,  mentioned,        69,  515 
Williams,  Col.  James,  sketch  of,  465-67, 
mentioned,     43,    69 ;      Musgrove's 
Mill,      104-122  ;      mentioned,     141 
143,    144,    165-68,   191,  192,   214-15 
217-18,221,  226,   234,  500,  520-92; 
letter  to  Gates,    520  ;  King's  Moun- 
tain,  3,   243-44,  268,    270,    276.    277 
278,    279,    284-85,    297,    299,    307 
323-24;  his  sons  killed,  468. 
Williams,  Col.  Joseph,  noticed,  216,  433 
Williams,  Col.  O.  H.,  mentioned     392 
Williams,    Capt.    Samuel,    men- 
tioned, .        .        .        424,581 
Williamson,  Gen.  Andrew,  men- 
tioned,         .         40,  43,  47,  72,  463 


Willoughby,  Mathew,  cited,  .  583 
Willoughby,  Lieut.  Wm.,  cited,  581 
Wilson,  Captain,  Loyalist,       .        340 

511,  516,  518 

Wilson,  Col,  George,  cited,        .        5 

95,  102,  122,  230,  232,  247,  275,  414 

Winchester,  Gen.  James,  cited,        582 

Winn,  Col.  Richard,  mentioned,      168 

504 
Winsmith,  Hon.  John,  cited,  76, 

100,  102 

Winston,    Maj.     Joseph,    sketch    of, 

454-56;  mentioned,  3,  119,  183,  184 

214-15,  234.  245,    279,  349,  413,  434 

523.  547.  549.  550,  552-53.  554- 
Winterbotham's  America,  cited,     380 
Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  men- 
tioned,        ....  4 
Witherspoon,  David,  noticed,         261 

308,  444,  461 
Witherspoon,  Col.  J.  H.,  cited,  5 

261,  308 
Witherspoon,  John,  noticed,      .      444 

461,586-87 
Withrow,  Capt.  James,  noticed,      199 

266,  475 
Wofiford,  Capt.  Joseph,  mentioned,  99 
Wofford,  Col.  Wm.,  noticed,  181-83 
Wofford,  Gen.  W.  S.,  mentioned,  5 
Wood,  Col.  James,  mentioned,  379 
Wood,  Capt.  Samuel,  noticed,  474 
Woodfin,  Miss  Anna  M.,  cited,  5,  307 
W^oodfin,  Hon.  N.  W.,  cited,  .  473 
Woodford,  Gen.  Wm.,  mentioned, 

23,  28,  40 
Woods,  killed  by  Tories,  .  133-34 
Worth,  John  L.,  cited,  .  .  5,  287 
Wright,    Gideon   and    Hezekiah, 

mentioned,        .         .         .         433 
Wright,    Maj.   James,  Georgia 

Tory 486 

Yates,  Jesse,  mentioned,     .        .        5 

Young,  Robert,  shoots  Ferguson,   275 

Young,  Maj.  Thomas,  cited,     .       129 

222,  246,  269-70,  277,  293,  308,  328 

342. 


cited,  .  583 
n.,  cited,  581 
list,  .  340 
511.  516,  518 
:ited,        .        5 

2.  247,  275,  414 
;s,  cited,  582 
cntioned,      168 

504 

cited,  76, 

100,  102 

ih,    sketch    of, 

3,  119,  183,  184 
I,  349.  413.  434 
2-53.  554- 

ica,  cited,  380 
ociety,  men- 

4 
oticed,         261 

308,  444,  461 

.,  cited,  3 

261,  308 

iced,      .      444 

461,586-87 

noticed,      199 

266,  475 

mentioned,  99 

;iccd,       181-83 

icntioned,       5 

itioned,        379 

oticed,         474 

.,  cited,  5,  307 

:ited,     .      473 

mentioned, 

23.  28,  40 

-     •         133-34 
•     5.287 
riezekiah, 

433 
Georgia 

486 

•     •        •        5 
'erguson,    275 

ited,     .       129 

293.  308,  328 


